iiliwifllilliilWMIIiliMlliNllWMWWIUiWWWIBWIfWMHHWPiffl^Wt^^ 


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tihvavy  of  Che  theological  ^tmimvy 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


•(j^i> 


PRESENTED  BY 

Rufus  K.   LeFevre 


6?6 


totfon 


Z^t  SOetiotional  ^txits 

The  Christian's  Power     .      .      .     F.  P.  Rosselot 

Bible  Study  and  Devotion      .      H.  A.  Thompton 

Prayer,  a  Means  of  Spiritual  Growth  .     . 

N.  E.  Cornetet 

Selections    from    Devotioaal    Writings    of 

Madame  Guyon     .      .     .     .     D.  D.  Lonuery 

Love  As  a  Motive M.  E.  Spayd 

Sorrow;  Its  Worth,  Its  Cure     .     J.  A.  Haivkins 

Bible  Doctrine  of  Devotion       ,      E.  S.  Boivman 

Christ  Our  Devotional  Example      .      fT.  J.  Zuck 

The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Devout  Life     .     . 

I.  L.  Kephart 

Conduct;    Its   Relation  to  the   Devotional 

Life J.T.  Spangler 

Each  j6mo,  Cloth Fifty  Cents 

W.  R.  Funk.  A^tnt  DAYTON,  OHIO 


f      MAY  21  ^^^  , 

S^tutip  anti  Bebotiou 

SDt.  I^oto  to  fetutig  tSe  SttU 
tot  ^et^onal  Spiritual  dSrototd 


COMPILED  BY 

H.  A.  THOMPSON.  D.D.,  LL.D. 

Editor  Th*  United  Brethrea  Review 


"Itvill  delight  myself  in  thy  statutes  :  IiviU  not  forget  thp 
word."    Psalm  119: 16. 


UNITED    BRETHREN    PUBLISHING    HOUSE 

W.  R.  FUNK,  ^cent  DAYTON.  OHIO 


Cop2/right,  190U,  by 
United  Brethren 
Publishing  House 
Dayton  Ohio 


So  ^2  2I2Hife 


//  ^5^ 


"*Tell  me,  in  a  word,  how  to  study  my  Bible/ 
fi  busy  man  once  said,  as  he  waited  for  his  train. 
On  your  knees,  in  earnest  prayer  to  God  for  light, 
and  in  deep  meditation  upon  what  is  written.  God 
must  enlighten,  and  you  must  think.  Never  open 
your  Bible  for  even  a  few  moments'  study  of  its 
contents  without  at  least  lifting  your  heart  to  God 
in  real  prayer  that  he  may  open  to  you  the  Scrip- 
tures. Herein  we  find  at  least  part  of  the  ex- 
planation of  the  fact  that  many  unlettered  men 
and  women  have  a  knowledge  of  the  real  contents 
of  the  Word  of  God  that  puts  to  shame  men  of 
profound  scholarship.  They  are  taught  of  God. 
They  asked  wisdom ;  they  asked  it  of  God,  and  they 
obtained  it."  (James  1:5-7.)— Rev,  R.  A,  Tor- 
rep. 


"Reader,  weigh  what  has  been  said.  Endeavor 
to  ponder  the  Scriptures  as  well  as  to  read  them ; 
and  remember  especially  and  emphatically,  first 
and  before  all  things  else,  that,  as  they  can  only 
be  profitably  understood  by  that  Spirit  which  in- 
spired them,  all  reading,  however  attentive,  how- 
ever thoughtful,  which  is  not  preceded  by  earnest 
prayer  for  the  teaching  and  illumination  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  may  be  interesting  to  the  mind ;  may 
be  useful  as  all  information  is  useful ;  hut  will  mosi 
undoubtedly  be  profitless  to  the  heart." — Dr.  E.  M. 
Ooulhurn. 


Contents 


Contents 


I    Thx  Biblk  a  Revxlation  fbom  GK>D 
II    Need  of  Biblk  Stxtdy 

III  Purposes  and  Aims  of  BiBiiX  Study 

The  Historical  Method 
The  Literary  Method 
The  Inductive  Method 
The  Doctrinal  Method 
The  Devotional  Method 

IV  Bible  Study  as  an  Aid  to  the  Life  of  Prates 
V    Bible  Study  as  an  Aid  to  the  Life  of  Medi* 

TATION 

VI    Helpfulness  of  Special  Books 
For  Service 

For  Fellowship  and  Love 
For  Life  of  the  Spirit 
For  Cultivating  the  Life  of  Faith 
For  Hope  of  Final  Triumph 

VII    Conclusion 


"The  word  of  the  Lord  is  tried."— Psa^m  18:30. 

"I  will  delight  myself  in  thy  commandments." — 
Psalm  119:47. 

"Thy  statutes  have  been  my  songs  in  the  house 
of  my  pilgrimage." — Psalm  119:54. 

"Seek  ye  out  the  book  of  the  Lord,  and  read." — 
Isaiah  34:16. 

"Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord." — Jeremiah  22:29^ 

"Ye  do  err,  not  knowing  the  scriptures." — Mat- 
thew 22:29. 

"What  advantage  hath  the  Jew?  .  .  .  First  of 
all  that  they  -were  intrusted  with  the  oracles  of 
God." — Romans   3:1,2. 

"Handling  aright  the  word  of  truth." — //.  Tim,' 
<Hhy  2:15. 

"And  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word 
of  God." — Ephesians  6:17. 

"Let  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you  richly  in 
all   wisdom." — Colossians   3:16. 

"The  word  of  the  Lord  abideth  forever." — I.  Peter 
1:25. 


BIBLE  STUDY  AND   DE- 
VOTION 


I 

Cl)e  TBMt  a  Eeuelation  from  ©oD 

The  Bible  is  a  unique  book.  It  is 
made  up  of  a  number  of  books,  written 
by  different  persons,  and  extending 
over  hundreds  of  years.  It  claims  to  be 
tbe  real  word  of  God;  his  message  to  a 
lost  world.  The  message  it  teaches  was 
attested  in  the  days  of  the  apostles  by 
wonderful  signs  and  remarkable  deeds. 

In  some  respects  we  who  live  to-day 
have  a  very  great  advantage  over  those 
early  Christians.  They  had  no  facil- 
ities for  printing  or  multiplying  books 
that  the  common  people  could  have  the 
Word  of  God  in  their  own  hands.  They 
received  it  from  the  lips  of  inspired 
men,  who  were  sent  out  to  preach  it, 
and  did  so,  with  infallible  correctness. 

9 


15iblt  &tulip  and  SDebotion 

We  have  no  inspired  men  to-day,  but 
we  have  an  inspired  Book,  which  keeps 
back  nothing  that  we  should  know. 
We  must  receive  it  as  confirming  a  rev- 
elation of  God  which  he  makes  to  us, 
as  well  as  a  revelation  to  us  of  our- 
selves. The  Scriptures  evidently  so 
teach.  (II.  Timothy  3:16;  Hebrews 
1 : 1,  2 ;  II.  Peter  1 :  20,  21. )  The  Book 
has  in  it  a  human  element,  for  it  was 
written  by  human  beings,  and  in  a  hu- 
man language.  It  speaks  to  the  human 
reason  and  intelligence.  It  appeals  to 
human  motives.  It  did  not  originate 
with  the  men  who  wrote  the  books ;  it  is 
not  simply  a  combination  of  the  writ- 
ings of  these  men,  but  it  is  the  word  of 
God  brought  to  us  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  inspired  men  who  wrote 
as  they  were  commanded  by  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

If  this  Book,  or  these  sixty-six  books, 
are  of  God,  as  we  have  assumed,  then 
the  teachings  must  come  to  us  with  au- 
thority. When  God  speaks,  all  other 
voices  must  be  silent.  It  is  our  business 

10 


%ie  3ihlt  a  WUhtlation  ttom  (Bod 

to  hear  and  to  obey.  The  books  of  our 
fellows  give  us  their  opinions,  their 
best  judgments  on  certain  questions, 
but  when  God  speaks  it  is  the  final 
word ;  nothing  else  can  take  its  place. 
What  he  asserts  is  true,  and  must  be 
received.  No  matter  how  unpalatable 
the  truth  may  be,  what  he  commands  to 
be  done,  if  refused,  endangers  our  sal- 
vation. In  proportion  as  we  obey  shall 
clearer  vision  be  given  us.  "If  any  man 
willeth  to  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of 
the  teaching,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or 
whether  I  speak  from  myself  (John 
7:17). 

The  word  of  God  as  revealed  in  the 
Scriptures  has  very  much  to  do  with 
the  salvation  of  man.  The  Holy  Spirit 
uses  it  in  the  work  of  regeneration. 
"Of  his  own  will  he  brought  us  forth 
with  the  word  of  truth,  that  we  should 
be  a  kind  of  firstfruits  of  his  creatures" 
(James  1:18).  By  the  same  means 
our  faith  is  increased.  "So  belief  com- 
oth  of  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word 
of  Christ"  ( Romans  10 :  17) .  "He  that 
11 


3ihlt  fetudp  and  2Debotian 

heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  him 
that  sent  me,  hath  eternal  life''  (John 
5:24).  By  it  our  justification  and 
sanctification  are  secured.  ^There  is 
no  stage  in  our  career,  there  are  no  cir- 
cumstances or  conditions  or  relations 
possible  to  us  but  some  word  of  God  is 
exactly  adapted  thereto,  and  the  chief 
aim  of  Bible  study  is  to  lead  us  into  a 
large  and  accurate  acquaintance  with 
the  Scriptures,  that  we  shall  know  how 
to  use  them  for  our  guidance  and 
growth." 


12 


"The  spiritual  life  within  us  stands  just  as  much 
in  need  of  nourishment,  of  assistance,  as  do  the 
physical  life  and  the  intellectual  life.  We  may  not 
say  that  the  religious  or  spiritual  will  take  care  of 
itself.  ...  Of  all  the  agencies  which  may  serve 
as  sources  of  help  in  the  training  and  strengthen- 
ing of  the  religious  life,  the  Bible,  when  studied,  is 
the  most  helpful,  and,  in  a  word,  indispensable," — 
William  Rainey  Harper. 


jl^ed  ot  T5ihlt  &tud^ 


II 

JSeeD  of  15iblt  StuDp 

If  God  has  made  a  revelation  to  us 
in  human  speech,  then  he  wishes  us  to 
use  all  the  means  in  our  power  to  find 
out  exactly  what  he  says.  He  cannot 
communicate  to  us  the  richest  revela- 
tions of  himself  without  an  effort  on 
our  part.  The  pupil  must  have  a  will- 
ing mind  if  he  will  receive  the  teaching 
and  profit  by  the  teacher's  method. 
God  has  so  done  in  the  arrangement  of 
the  material  world.  He  has  stored 
away  the  coal  and  the  ores  of  various 
kinds  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  if 
we  would  use  them  for  the  comfort  of 
our  families,  or  for  the  transaction  of 
commerce,  we  can  succeed  only  by  hu- 
man understanding:  and  skill.  Timber 
is  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth, 
provided  beforehand  for  man's  comfort 
and  profit,  but  the  ships  of  commerce 

15 


3ihlt  ^tnhv  and  SDebotion 

are  not  found  ready-built  for  our  use. 
We  must  cut  and  saw  and  fashion  the 
timber  before  we  can  have  the  sturdy 
ship  or  the  handsome  Pullman. 

So,  in  a  sense,  we  are  to  look  upon 
the  Scriptures  as  a  vast  tract  of  rich 
country  in  which  are  splendid  forests 
and  rich  mines  awaiting  the  skill  of  the 
lumberman  and  the  pick  of  the  miner; 
wells  of  luscious  water  waiting  for  the 
digger;  the  best  of  land  awaiting  the 
skill  and  labor  of  the  farmer.  The  ter- 
ritory is  rich  in  resources  of  every  kind 
to  meet  every  spiritual  want  of  every 
man,  no  matter  how  numerous  or  how 
strong  these  wants  may  be,  but  they 
await  the  hand  of  human  activity  to  fit 
them  for  their  intended  use. 

To  be  more  specific,  we  might  say, 
The  Bible  is  a  book  of  principles,  and 
not  of  rules.  A  rule  points  out  a 
definite  and  specific  task,  concerning 
which  there  can  be  no  mistake.  A  prin- 
ciple makes  a  requirement,  reveals  a 
tone  of  mind  which  will  develop  differ- 
ently  under   different   circumstances. 

16 


il^eeti  ot  3mz  &tulip 


The  regulations  of  the  Jewish  dispen- 
sation were  mostly  rules,  which  were 
to  be  observed  in  a  particular  way. 
Now,  for  the  most  part,  we  find  only 
broad  principles.  From  these  princi- 
ples we  must  deduce  our  own  rules ;  but 
to  do  so  requires  extensive  information 
and  careful  thinking. 

The  Bible  is  a  book  of  examples, 
rather  than  of  precepts.  In  the  New 
Testament  there  is  much  more  of  nar- 
rative than  of  precept.  It  would  be  a 
relief  to  some  people  if  the  Scriptures 
should  say  definitely  and  minutely 
whether  it  is  right  to  dance,  to  play 
cards,  to  ride  on  Sunday  trains,  to  in- 
sure one's  life,  and  a  thousand  other 
things  that  men  want  to  know,  but  to 
include  all  the  possible  questions  that 
might  arise  in  coming  ages  and  in  all 
lands  would  require  a  Bible  a  thousand 
times  as  large  as  the  one  we  now  have. 
In  these  narratives  the  truth  is  con- 
cealed, and  we  are  expected  to  find  it 
out  for  ourselves,  and  to  do  this  will 
require    mental    effort.     This    effort 

2  17 


3ihlt  &tuti^  anH  SDtbotion 

brings  its  own  reward,  for  the  truth 
comes  to  us  with  more  of  life  and  fresh- 
ness than  when  presented  in  deliberate 
statement. 

Again,  the  teachings  of  the  Bible  are 
not  systematically  arranged.  There  is 
no  effort  made  by  the  writers  to  class- 
ify doctrines,  to  systematize  precepts, 
or  to  arrange  duties  in  regular  logical 
or  chronological  order.  The  writer  makes 
his  statement  of  truth  or  fact  as  he  sees 
it,  and  if  any  modification  or  limitation 
is  to  be  made,  he  does  not  stop  to  make 
it,  but  it  is  found  in  some  other  portion 
of  the  volume.  The  same  thing  is  seen 
in  nature.  If  the  student  wishes  to 
form  a  science  of  nature,  he  gathers  up 
the  facts  and  teachings  and  does  his 
own  classifying.  "He  thinks  God  Al- 
mighty's thoughts  after  him."  So  the 
theologian  will  not  find  his  science  pre- 
pared for  him,  but  must  gather  here 
and  there  out  of  God's  Word  the  truths 
concerning  God  and  man,  and  do  his 
own  classifying. 

All  of  this  clearly  shows  that  if  we 

18 


iPetti  Dt  3ihlt  fetun^ 


would  draw  from  the  Scriptures  the 
lessons  meant  to  be  taught,  there  is 
need  of  careful  thought  and  medita- 
tion. Merely  reading  the  Bible  is  not 
Bible  study.  No  method  has  yet  been 
discovered  by  means  of  which  the 
truths  of  the  Bible  can  be  made  our 
own,  and  be  interwoven  into  our  very 
natures,  save  by  faithful,  careful,  and 
persistent  study.  We  can  look  upon 
nature  and  enjoy,  after  a  fashion,  the 
pictures  she  paints,  without  very  much 
effort;  our  enjoyment,  however,  will 
not  be  as  intelligent,  nor  as  permanent 
as  if  we  had  studied  her  moods  and 
manifestations.  If  we  would  profit  by 
her  endless  stores  of  material,  we  must 
fell  the  timber,  open  up  mines,  build 
the  shops,  and  fashion  the  furnaces. 
So  if  we  would  profit  by  the  endless 
stores  which  the  pen  of  inspiration  has 
given  us,  we  must,  by  prayer  and 
thought  and  meditation,  tunnel  into 
these  great  storehouses  of  information 
and  find  the  truth  adapted  to  our 
wants.    From  the  examples  given  us  we 

19 


3ihlt  fetttti^  and  SDttJotion 

must  find  the  practical  teaching;  from 
the  rule  we  must  gather  the  principle 
involved.  When  the  principle  is  given, 
we  must  find  the  rule  that  grows  out  of 
it.  As  men  are  constituted,  they  need 
rules  that  are  definite  and  distinct,  in 
order  to  make  progress  in  the  spiritual 
life. 

From  another  and  a  different  stand- 
point, there  is  great  need  in  this  our 
day  for  a  faithful  study  of  the  Bible 
for  our  own  personal  religious  growth. 
This  is  true,  not  only  concerning  our 
own  Zion,  but  indeed  the  whole  relig- 
ious world.  Herbert  E.  Baright,  M.  D., 
in  the  Empire  State  'Notes,  emphasizes 
this  need  in  the  following  paragraphs : 

^The  young  people  of  to-day,  the  men 
and  women  of  to-morrow,  on  whom  we 
must  depend  for  the  purity  and  stabil- 
ity of  home,  and  church,  and  state,  are 
growing  up  in  an  atmosphere  of  mate- 
rialism, skepticism,  and  unexampled 
hostility  to  the  Word  of  God. 

"The  family  altar,  the  earliest  con- 
servator of  the  religious  life,  is  falling 

20 


ilJeed  0t  Bible  fetuti? 


into  disuse.  Between  the 
newspaper  and  the  exactions  of  school 
and  business,  it  seems  impracticable, 
in  the  present  day,  for  the  family  to  get 
together  for  morning  devotions.  The 
young  people  of  the  present  day  are  not 
receiving  the  tuition  in  the  school  of 
prayer,  with  its  unconscious  shaping 
and  molding  of  character,  which  our 
forefathers  had. 

"There  is  a  waning  of  personal  relig- 
ion. In  the  promotion  of  numerous  re- 
forms and  philanthropic  enterprises, 
and  in  our  enthusiasm  over  important 
social  problems,  there  is  a  tendency  to 
forget  that  these  things  cannot  bring 
us  into  right  relations  with  God.  Peace 
must  still  be  made  at  Calvary.  Moral- 
ity and  good  works,  and  even  the  reg- 
ular observance  of  the  forms  of  public 
w^orship,  count  for  but  little  unless  the 
heart  and  life  are  definitely  yielded  to 
the  rulership  of  God. 

"Christ  said,  'Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor,'  but  he  first  said,  'Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God.'    In  the  present 

21 


3ih\t  Muhv  ann  SD^tiotion 

day  there  is  a  tendency,  we  believe,  to 
exalt  the  second  commandment  above 
the  first ;  there  is  a  tendency  to  empha- 
size re  form,  to  the  neglect  of  pre  form; 
a  tendency  to  put  service  before  fellow- 
ship; works  before  faith. 

"Good  books  and  religious  newspa- 
pers and  the  moral  essays  of  the  pop- 
ular press  are  largely  taking  the  place, 
in  our  devotional  reading,  of  the  Scrip- 
ture itself.  In  current  literature  there 
are  fewer  allusions  to  the  Bible  and, 
even  among  our  best  writers,  there  are 
fewer  quotations  from  the  Bible  than 
formerly.  This  condition  of  affairs  is 
due,  we  believe,  to  the  decadence  of 
school  and  family  worship. 

"Among  Christian  believers,  there  is 
a  lack  of  that  direct  and  personal  rela- 
tionship with  God  which  Christ  and 
the  disciples  had,  and  on  which  they  de- 
pended; there  is  a  lack  of  a  realizing 
sense  of  God  as  our  Father,  ever  pres- 
ent and  ever  active  in  the  every-day 
affairs  of  his  children.  If  we  would 
know  God  and  truly  love  and  serve 

22 


jlJeeH  ot  3ihlt  fetudp 


him ;  if  we  would  enjoy  that  fellowship 
with  him  which  our  hearts  crave ;  if  we 
would  be  Spirit-filled  and  Spirit-led, 
w^e  must  meet  him  face  to  face,  alone; 
we  must  talk  with  him,  and  we  must 
listen  to  him  as  he  talks  to  us ;  we  must 
let  him  speak  to  the  very  depths  of  our 
lives." 


"I  WOULD  like  to  see  a  huge  pile  of  all  the  books, 
good  and  bad,  that  were  ever  written,  prayer-books 
and  sermons  and  hymn-books  and  all  that,  smoking 
like  Sodom  of  old,  if  the  reading  of  these  books 
keeps  you  away  from  the  reading  of  the  Bible ;  for 
a  ton  weight  of  human  literature  is  not  worth  an 
ounce  of  Scripture ;  one  single  drop  of  the  essential 
tincture  of  the  Word  of  God  is  better  than  a  sea 
full  of  our  commentings  and  sermonizings  and  the 
like." — Spurgeon. 


Putpo0e0  and  Siim&  ot  3itlt  &tutip 


III 

purposes  atiD  aims  of  IBtble 

It  is  said  that  one  usually  gets  out 
of  a  book  that  which  he  brings  to  it ;  in 
other  words,  he  will  likely  get  the  par- 
ticular kind  of  information  for  which 
he  is  seeking.  One  may  read  history  to 
find  the  career  of  a  particular  man,  or 
class  of  men ;  to  find  the  drift  of  certain 
national  tendencies;  to  find  the  causes 
that  led  up  to  certain  results,  and  show 
how  the  effects  naturally  followed;  to 
trace  God's  movements  in  the  affairs  of 
nations,  as  well  as  in  those  of  individ- 
uals; to  learn  lessons  from  the  past, 
that  may  guide  in  the  activities  of  the 
present,  and  for  various  other  reasons. 
So,  while  the  Bible  was  given  us  for 
one  supreme  purpose,  and  should, 
therefore,  be  studied  with  this  end  in 

25 


75ible  &tuti^  and  SDebotion 

view,  there  are  minor  reasons  for  its 
study  which  would  justify  us  in  giving 
it  our  most  careful  attention. 

^it  ^i0totital  a^etjon 

The  Bible  is  composed  of  sixty-six 
books,  the  work  of  some  thirty-six  au- 
thors, and  covering  probably  sixteen 
centuries  of  the  world's  history. 
Through  all  these  books  there  prevails 
one  prominent  idea.  The  Old  Testa- 
ment is  the  product  of  one  country,  ex- 
tending, however,  over  a  long  period  of 
time.  The  New  Testament  is  concerned 
with  several  countries,  but  covering  a 
shorter  period  of  time.  These  books 
show  a  great  variety  of  contents,  such 
as  history,  theology,  philosophy,  jx)- 
etry,  biography,  aspiration,  prediction. 
These  writers  were  prophets,  priests, 
kings,  apostles  or  evangelists.  The 
books  were  written  amid  a  variety  of 
circumstances.  These  unique  books 
are  accepted  by  many  as  the  inspired 
word  of  God.    Herein  they  find  comfort 


Putpo0e0  and  Siim0  of  3ihlt  ^tuti? 

when  they  are  sad,  guidance  when  they 
are  perplexed,  and  instruction  which 
they  can  find  nowhere  else. 

Now  and  then  some  ask  themselves, 
Is  this  Bible  really  true?  Where  did  it 
come  from?  Is  our  Bible  the  same  the 
ancient  Christians  read?  Is  the  Old 
Testament  which  we  have  the  same 
which  our  Lord  had  in  his  day,  and 
from  which  he  quoted?  Do  we  have 
the  same  New  Testament  which  the 
apostles  and  their  followers  had  before 
the  first  century  closed?  All  this  is  an 
interesting  study,  and  would  take  us 
back  in  the  world's  history  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  different  manuscripts 
written  a  long  time  since,  and  most 
carefully  preserved.  A  comparison  of 
these  by  the  best  scholars  is  the  basis 
of  the  accepted  text  of  to-day.  We  may 
follow  on  down,  examining  the  differ- 
ent versions  that  have  been  made,  until 
we  reach  the  latest  of  our  own  day. 


27 


JBihlt  fetuti^  and  SD^botton 

%it  JLitttat^  ^tt^ot} 

Another  method  of  study  we  might 
term  the  literary  method.  This  would 
deal  with  questions  of  composition,  au- 
thority, date,  style,  contents,  and  such 
like  things.  A  portion  of  these  books 
are  poetical,  and  the  nature  of  Hebrew 
poetry  needs  to  be  understood  in  order 
to  understand  them.  Others  are  narra- 
tive and  historical,  others  argumenta- 
tive, and  others  prophetical.  The  char- 
acter of  the  men  who  wrote,  the  age  in 
which  they  lived,  and  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  them,  would  enter 
into  the  nature  of  their  writings. 
While  we  claim  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
inspired  these  men  to  write,  yet  the  in- 
dividuality of  each  shows  itself  in  his 
writings.  Paul  does  not  write  like 
Luke,  nor  Isaiah  like  Job.  The  Spirit 
is  not  confined  to  any  one  method,  but 
may  use  different  mental  equipments 
to  do  his  work.  "Men  spake  from  God, 
being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit''  (II. 
Peter  1:21).  The  author  of  the  He- 
brews implies  this.    "God  having  in  old 

28 


^ntvo0t0  and  ^im^  ot  Bible  &tuti^ 

time  spoken  unto  the  fathers  in  the 
prophets  bj  divers  portions  and  in 
divers  manners,  hath  at  the  end  of 
these  days  spoken  unto  us  in  his  Son" 
( Hebrews  1:1). 

Not  only  do  the  writers  differ  as  to 
their  information,  their  literary  skill, 
their  use  of  words,  their  power  of 
analysis,  and  their  power  to  picture, 
but  the  books  also  differ  as  to  their  con- 
tents. Probably  nearly  every  one  of 
them  was  written  to  meet  some  partic- 
ular emergency.  One  to  warn  of  com- 
ing danger,  and  how  to  meet  it ;  another 
to  help  them  to  bear  up  in  the  midst  of 
trials;  one  to  Hebrew  readers,  and  an- 
other to  Gentiles ;  one  to  mark  the  pro- 
gress of  the  little  church  in  spreading 
the  gospel ;  another  to  build  up  and  es- 
tablish us  in  the  truth  of  God.  To 
study  any  or  all  of  these  is  a  most  de- 
lightful study,  and  worthy  of  the 
loftiest  intellect.  "Genesis  is  a  book  of 
origins,  or  beginnings,  and  the  whole 
book  illustrates  this  idea.  Exodus 
seems  to  have  for  its  key-note,  redemp- 

29 


3ihlt  &tttti?  anti  Wtbotim 

tion ;  the  need,  the  method,  and  the  re- 
sults of  redemption  form  the  substance 
of  the  book.  In  Leviticus  the  main 
idea  is,  perhaps,  worship;  test  this  in 
reading,  and  correct  if  necessary.  We 
may  take  Joshua  and  consider  whether 
conquest  is  not  the  thread  running 
through  it ;  or  Judges,  and  note  the  dis- 
mal failure  from  first  to  last.  In  Job, 
the  main  thought  seems  to  be  the  prov- 
idence of  God ;  and  in  the  Psalms,  com- 
munion with  God.  The  burden  of 
Isaiah  seems  to  be  faith,  leading  to 
faithfulness,  and  this  is  pointed  out  by 
the  history  of  his  relations  to  Kings 
Ahaz  and  Hezekiah." 

Jntiuctibe  &tuti^ 

In  speaking  of  this  method  Dr.  Bal- 
lentine  says:  "The  purpose  of  induc- 
tive study  of  the  Bible  is  that  the  stu- 
dent may  have  first-hand  knowledge  of 
the  Scriptures.  It  is  not  to  learn  what 
the  teacher  says  about  the  Bible,  but 
by  the  use  of  his  own  eyes  to  become 
personally    familiar    with    it.     Such 

30 


^ntpo^t0  and  Siim0  ot  Bfftle  fetuti? 

study  must  have  three  qualities ;  name- 
ly, largeness,  rapidity,  and  inductive- 
ness. 

"1.  Largeness.  By  this  is  meant 
that  the  books  shall  be  studied  by 
wholes,  not  as  mere  strings  of  unre- 
lated texts.  The  meaning  of  individual 
verses  must  be  ascertained  from  the 
connections  in  the  great  lines  of 
thought.  The  most  attention  shall  be 
paid  to  the  general  subject,  the  prin- 
cipal chain  of  thought,  and  the  chief 
proposition  of  each  book. 

"2.  Rapidity.  By  this  is  meant 
that  a  method  shall  be  used  which  in  a 
few  years  will  lead  a  student  through 
the  whole  Bible,  and  give  him  a  general 
familiarity  with  the  contents  and  mu- 
tual relation  of  all  the  books.  No 
method  of  study  which  deals  micro- 
scopically with  detached  portions  can 
ever  give  a  correct  general  knowledge 
of  the  Bible  or  make  known  its  most 
interesting  and  important  truths.  As 
beginners  in  geography  need  outline 
maps  of  the  continents,  so  beginners  in 

31 


3ihlt  fetuti^  ant!  SDttotion 

Bible  study  need  to  go  quickly  over  all 
its  main  features. 

^^3.  Induetiveness.  By  this  is  meant 
that  the  student  shall  find  the  answers 
to  his  questions  for  himself  by  his  own 
reading.  It  means  also,  and  this  is 
most  important,  that  the  student  shall, 
in  the  use  of  the  inductive  method,  not 
read  to  see  what  the  Bible  says  about 
faith  or  prayer,  or  any  particular  sub- 
ject, but  simply  to  see  what  it  says. 
This  is  very  hard  for  many  people  to 
understand.  We  must  not  ask  leading 
questions  in  inductive  study,  that  is, 
questions  which  indicate  what  sort  of 
answers  we  expect;  but  we  must  ask 
purely  general  questions,  and  be  pre- 
pared for  answers  that  are  surprising 
and  wholly  aside  from  our  own  fa- 
miliar thoughts  and  inquiries.  In  in- 
ductive study,  we  must  avoid  branch- 
ing off  into  things  that  are  merely 
suggested,  or  related,  or  into  inferences 
and  combinations  with  the  teachings  of 
other  books.  What  we  are  to  learn  is, 
what  the  particular  author  was  most 

32 


^ntpo0t0  and  2im0  ot  3ih\t  &tuti^ 

occupied  with  in  writing  that  partic- 
ular book." 

W^t  (Eiegetical  OPetJoti 

x\nother  method  of  Bible  study 
might  be  termed  the  exegetical.  By 
this  we  seek  to  find  the  true  interpreta- 
tion of  the  contents  of  the  Bible;  the 
exact  meaning  of  its  various  passages, 
sections,  verses,  and  even  words.  To 
do  this  well,  one  needs  to  have  a  good 
knowledge  of  language  and  the  rules  of 
grammar,  to  be  well  informed  as  to  the 
manner  and  customs  of  the  people  of 
that  particular  period  for  whom  or 
among  whom  these  various  books  were 
written.  To  this  we  might  add  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  meaning  and  use  of 
words.  Herein  a  knowledge  of  the  He- 
brew and  Greek  languages  is  of  very 
great  value  to  the  minister,  for  it  en- 
ables him  to  go  back  to  the  original 
Scriptures.  The  ordinary  student 
must  confine  himself  to  the  English 
translation,  but  he  can  make  this  very 
helpful,  if  he  will.    To  do  this,  he  wants 


1&ih\t  fetuti^  anti  SDelJotion 

the  best  translation  possible.  The  one 
who  sajs  the  old  version  is  good  enough 
for  him,  makes  a  great  mistake,  and 
shows  a  bad  spirit.  If  God  has  spoken 
to  us  through  the  medium  of  written 
language,  we  should  do  our  best  to  find 
out  exactly  what  he  says.  If  we  have  a 
version  which  gives  us  a  clearer  and 
better  translation  of  any  part  of  Scrip- 
ture than  we  had  before,  so  far,  at 
least,  as  that  part  is  concerned,  an  hon- 
est man  is  placed  under  obligation  to 
use  the  better  version.  If  he  will  not,  he 
thereby  dishonors  the  one  who  sends  the 
message,  and  shows  his  own  obstinacy 
and  obtuseness.  If  he  can  have  but  one 
version,  it  should  be  the  best;  if  pos- 
sible, better  have  a  number.  The  dif- 
ferent versions  appearing  which  seek 
to  express  the  Divine  word  in  our  mod- 
ern English  idioms  are  all  valuable,  so 
far  as  we  have  seen  them.  It  may  not 
be  best  at  this  juncture  to  use  them  in 
the  pulpit,  but  they  should  have  a  place? 
in  the  private  study.  This  method  of 
study  is  a  very  important  one,  and  is 

34 


^ntpo0t0  and  f^irn^  ot  Bible  fetuti^ 

fundaDiental  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
truth;  yet  one  may  become  so  inter- 
ested in  the  details  of  this  method  that 
he  will  fail  to  get  the  greatest  personal 
blessing  from  Bible  study. 

%fit  SDocttfnal  Sl^etjoli 

Another  method  of  study  may  be 
termed  the  doctrinal.  This  is  the  spe- 
cial work  of  the  theologian,  but  need 
not  be  confined  to  him.  It  is  an  inter- 
esting study  to  find  out  at  different 
stages  of  the  world's  history  the  revela- 
tion God  has  made  of  himself  to  man. 
Having  learned  the  meaning  of  certain 
sections,  verses,  and  paragraphs,  we 
may  group  them  together  under  vari- 
ous heads,  so  far  as  they  are  different 
from  each  other,  and  find,  as  we  may,  a 
bond  of  union  running  through  them. 
In  this  way  we  may  build  up  a  system 
of  doctrinal  teachings.  These  are  not 
already  grouped,  as  we  find  them  in  the 
books  of  the  Bible.  The  teachings  con- 
cerning God  and  his  revelation  through 
Christ  are  found  scattered  from  Gen- 

35 


3ihlt  &tuti^  anti  S>tbotion 

esis  to  Revelation.  If  all  men  inter- 
preted them  alike,  we  should  find  but 
one  system  of  theology;  because  they 
do  not,  we  have  more  than  one.  In  the 
things  essential  to  salvation  they  sub- 
stantially agree.  Others  take  the  re- 
verse order  and,  having  accepted  cer- 
tain theories  of  belief,  search  the  Scrip- 
tures to  find  proof-texts  which  will  sub- 
stantiate their  theories,  irrespective  of 
the  many  texts  which  would  seem  to 
contradict  them.  By  means  of  isolated 
statements,  taken  out  of  their  places, 
almost  anything  could  be  proven.  "The 
devil  can  quote  Scripture  for  his  pur- 
pose.^' 

'StSe  JDebotional  9$ttiot^ 

This  is  the  study  for  personal  relig- 
ious growth.  It  is  an  effort  to  find  out 
the  mind  of  God,  the  truth  he  has  re- 
vealed, so  that  we  may  more  and  more 
fashion  our  lives  in  accordance  with 
that  will.  The  methods  already  given 
are  all  proper,  but  in  themselves  do  not 
necessarily  lead  to  the  highest  results. 

36 


^utpo0t0  and  Sim0  ot  3ibU  &tutie 

Bible  study  is,  first  of  all,  intended  to 
keep  the  soul  in  close  contact  with  God. 
A  man  may  make  himself  conversant 
with  the  early  manuscripts  of  the  Bible, 
and  be  able  to  tell  when  and  where 
written,  and  how  preserved ;  he  may  be 
more  or  less  familiar  with  their  general 
arrangement,  the  style  in  which  writ- 
ten, and  the  characteristics  of  the  au- 
thors; he  may  have  constructed  for 
himself  an  outline  of  the  teachings  of 
the  Bible  upon  important  subjects;  and 
yet,  save  the  intellectual  pleasure 
which  would  come  from  the  careful 
consideration  of  any  writings,  there 
has  come  to  him  comparatively  little 
of  spiritual  profit.  Men  may  lecture 
about  the  Bible,  may  even  preach  on  its 
topics,  and  yet  not  be  helped  much  by 
all  their  study.  They  have  never  asked, 
"What  saith  my  Lord  unto  his  serv- 
ant ?''  or,  "What  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?''  They  have  never  looked  into  this 
Book  as  a  personal  message  to  their 
own  souls.  Some  of  them  may  be  in- 
cludes 1  In  the  class  of  whom  our  Lord 

37 


3lblt  &tuli^  mh  SDebotton 

spoke,  "Manj  will  say  to  me  in  that 
day,  Lord,  Lord,  did  we  not  prophesy 
by  thy  name,  and  by  thy  name  cast  out 
devils,  and  by  thy  name  do  many 
mighty  works?" 

To  make  this  devotional  study  prof- 
itable to  us,  we  must  have  fellowship 
with  God.  The  best  results  cannot  be 
reached,  as  in  other  methods,  by  mere 
intellectual  study.  Unless  our  sins  are 
forgiven  and  we  are  accepted  of  God, 
we  shall  not  be  profited.  A  man  whose 
heart  is  not  right  with  God,  who  is  not 
seeking  to  find  out  and  to  do  his  will, 
cannot  study  devotionally.  Here,  es- 
pecially, spiritual  things  are  spiritual- 
ly discerned.  "The  Spirit  searcheth  all 
things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God. 
For  who  among  men  knoweth  the 
things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  the 
man,  which  is  in  him?  even  so  the 
things  of  God  none  knoweth,  save  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Now  we  have  received, 
not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
Spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  we  might 
know  the  things  that  are  freely  given 

38 


^utpo0e0  and  ^inx0  oC  Bible  &tuti? 

to  us  of  God.  Which  things  also  we 
speak,  not  in  words  which  man^s  wis- 
dom teacheth,  but  which  the  Spirit 
teacheth;  comparing  spiritual  things 
with  spiritual.  Now  the  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto 
him;  and  he  cannot  know  them,  be- 
cause they  are  spiritually  judged." 

If  we  would  get  the  most  profit  out 
of  this  study,  our  hearts  must  be  kept 
right  with  God.  Our  lives  must  not  be 
up  and  down,  here  to-day  and  away  to- 
morrow, but  must  be  true  to  God.  We 
must  be  anxious  to  find  out  exactly 
what  God  teaches  and  be  willing  to  do 
what  he  requires.  The  secret  of  the 
Lord  is  revealed  "to  them  that  fear 
him."  In  Old-Testament  times  there 
were  periods  when  there  was  no  "open 
vision,"  for  men  had  disobeyed  God. 
So  there  are  times  when  the  believer 
does  not  see  clearly  and  does  not  learn 
rapidly,  for  he  has  not  kept  himself  in 
touch  with  God.  This  devotional  study 
will  give  us  increased  spiritual  power 

39 


and  blessing,  and  this  in  turn  will  give 
us  still  greater  insight  into  divine 
truth. 

In  order  to  study  to  spiritual  profit 
we  must  ^^search  the  Scriptures."  The 
man  who  gets  the  most  valuable  treas- 
ures out  of  the  sciences  must  dig  for 
them.  The  richest  are  not  usually 
picked  up  by  the  wayside.  A  listless 
and  indifferent  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures v/ill  not  let  us  into  their  hidden 
meaning.  We  must  bring  to  bear  on 
the  passage  our  best  judgment,  our 
logical  skill,  our  most  vivid  imagina- 
tion, all  the  mental  power  we  possess. 
The  words,  the  sentences,  the  nature  of 
the  whole  paragraph  must  be  consid- 
ered. All  this  Scripture  has  been  given 
for  a  purpose,  and  its  words  and  illus- 
trations and  Oriental  references  have 
not  been  selected  at  random.  We  must 
get  the  meaning,  find  the  message  con- 
veyed, and  make  it  a  part  of  our  being. 

The  word  "meditate"  comes  from 
the  Greek,  and  means  "to  attend."  It 
is  reading  with  attention ;  more  than 

40 


^ntvo0t0  anti  ^im^  ot  J&ihlt  ^tixt^v 

this,  it  is  reading  with  intention.  Hav- 
ing learned  the  meaning  of  the  passage, 
we  must  look  carefully  at  each  step  to 
find  its  application.  All  scripture  has 
a  lesson  for  us,  for  it  was  written  for 
our  profit.  The  application  must  be 
made  by  myself,  after  my  study  of  the 
passage,  and  for  my  own  profit.  The 
psalmist  speaks  (104:34)  of  m?/ medi- 
tation of  Him.  David  made  it  for  him- 
self, and  so  must  we.  His  own  medita- 
tion upon  God's  Word  is  a  most  helpful 
thing  for  every  Christian. 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  little 
books  of  devotion  w^hich  have  been  writ- 
ten by  the  best  men  and  women  shall 
not  be  used  by  us.  They  are  very  val- 
uable, and  contain  the  best  thoughts 
and  richest  experiences  of  earnest 
Christians.  These  are  simply  not  to 
have  the  first  place,  but  are  to  come  in 
after  we  have  made  our  own  medita- 
tion. When  we  have  first  learned  what 
God  will  say  to  us,  as  a  result  of  our 
own  personal  communion  with  him, 
we  may  learn  what  he  has  said  to  oth- 

41 


3iblt  &tuti^  ann  SDebotion 

ers.  While  I  have  the  same  human 
nature  as  others,  I  may  be  in  different 
circumstances,  and  a  phase  of  the  truth 
will  come  to  me  that  I  will  not  find  in 
these  books  which  relate  the  experi- 
ences of  others.  It  must  constantly  be 
^'my  meditation"  if  I  will  get  the  best 
of  it. 

This  must  be  a  real  meditation;  the 
psalmist  says  (49:3),  "of  thy  heart." 
This  does  not  simply  mean  of  the  emo- 
tional nature,  but  of  the  whole  being, 
the  intellect,  sensibilities,  and  will. 
We  come  to  the  Word  of  God  anxious 
to  find  out  exactly  what  it  says,  and 
intending  to  be  guided  thereby.  It  is 
not  a  time  for  listless  musings  or 
dreamy  imaginings,  but  an  earnest 
seeking  for  help,  for  guidance,  for  com- 
fort. To  make  it  eminently  practical, 
one  author  suggests  the  following  ele- 
ments: "First,  the  careful  reading  of 
the  particular  passage  or  subject, 
thinking  over  its  real  and  original 
meaning;  next,  a  resolute  application 
of  it  to  my  own  life's  needs,  conscience, 

42 


)^atpo0e0  ann  SLinifi  of  3itU  &tuli? 

heart,  mind,  imagination,  will,  finding 
out  what  it  has  to  say  to  me;  next,  a 
hearty  turning  of  it  into  prayer  for 
mercy  and  grace,  that  its  teachings 
may  become  a  part  of  my  life;  next,  a 
sincere  transfusion  of  it  into  a  resolu- 
tion that  my  life  shall  reproduce  it; 
lastly,  a  whole-hearted  surrender  to, 
and  trust  in  God  for  power  to  practice 
it  forthwith,  so  vital,  so  blessed  that 
we  shall  find  in  it  our  chief  joy  and  our 
indispensable  daily  power  for  service.'' 
Dr.  Goulburn  recommends,  in  sub- 
stance, the  following  plan  of  medita- 
tion: First,  endeavor  to  realize  the 
presence  of  God  or  of  Jesus  Christ,  as 
best  suits  your  mind  at  the  time.  A 
single  lively  remembrance  will  be 
enough.  He  is  there,  and  that  will  suf- 
fice. Second,  call  upon  God  to  inspire 
you  with  holy  thoughts  and  to  bless 
them  to  your  profit  and  growth  in 
grace;  do  this  with  earnestness,  as  you 
would  in  speaking  to  a  friend  who  is 
just  quitting  you.  Open  to  the  passage 
that  forms  your  subject  for  medita- 

4?, 


I&itlt  &)tuti^  anb  SDebotton 

tion;  it  might  be  well  to  choose  it  tlie 
day  before.  Take  the  simple  and  avoid 
the  difficult  parts  of  the  Bible.  Third, 
picture  to  yourself  the  circumstances 
by  an  effort  of  the  imagination,  as,  for 
example,  you  would  in  the  case  of  the 
crucifixion.  Fourth,  reflect  on  the 
words  of  the  passage;  turn  them  over 
in  the  mind ;  make  out  what  they  teach, 
w^hat  doctrine  is  wrapped  up  in  them, 
and  what  duty.  Fifth,  do  not  look 
upon  these  things  with  barren  admira- 
tion, but  turn  them  to  account  in  the 
guidance  of  your  own  soul.  So  present 
these  to  your  mind  that  they  may  stir 
the  feelings  of  affection  in  your  own 
heart,  whether  of  hope,  or  fear,  or  grat- 
itude, or  love.  These  sentiments  of  the 
heart  should  be  followed  by  good  reso- 
lutions. 

The  devotional  study  of  the  Bible 
must  thus  be  our  daily  bread.  When 
properly  done,  it ,  will  enter  into  the 
very  warp  and  woof  of  our  spiritual 
life.  It  must  be  so  studied  as  to  assim- 
ilate the  truths  into  our  very  being,  and 

44 


jautpo^e^  and  ^im0  ot  3ih\t  fetuti? 

thus  be  able  to  reproduce  its  effects  in 
our  lives.  When  thus  done,  "The  word 
will  become  all-sufficient  and  all-pow- 
erful in  our  life;  the  mirror  to  reveal 
(James  1) ;  the  water  to  cleanse 
(Ephesians  5)  ;  the  milk  to  nourish 
(I.  Peter  2)  ;  the  strong  meat  to  invig- 
orate (Hebrews  5)  ;  the  honey  to  de- 
light (Psalm  119)  ;  the  fire  to  warm, 
the  hammer  to  break  and  fasten  (Jer- 
emiah 23)  ;  the  sword  to  fight  (Ephe- 
sians 6)  ;  the  seed  to  grow  (Matthew 
13)  ;  the  lamp  to  guide,  the  statute- 
book  to  legislate  (Psalm  119)  ;  and  the 
gold  to  treasure  in  time  and  for  eter- 
nity (Psalm  119).'^ 


45 


"Ojf  very  great  importance  among  the  helps  to 
secret  prayer  is  the  special  study  of  the  Bible  with 
reference  to  prayer.  The  Bible  is  the  only  author- 
itative text-book  on  prayer.  It  alone  acquaints  us 
with  God  and  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  alone 
shows  us  ourselves,  others,  and  the  world,  from 
God's  point  of  view.  Bible  study  gives  prayer, 
substance,  reality,  life,  and  power.  Without  devo- 
tional Bible  study  there  can  be  no  true  communion ; 
for  we  need  to  reiterate  the  thought  that  secret 
prayer  is  not  monologue,  but  dialogue.  Experience 
and  testimony  prove  that  the  men  who  have  neg- 
lected devotional  Bible  study  have  weakened  in 
their  prayer  life." — John  li.  Matt. 


Sin  aiH  to  tfit  %iU  ot  Prater 


IV 

iBMt  ^tuDp  a0  an  3iD  to  tlie 
iLife  of  Prapet 

As  THE  Scriptures  may  be  said  to  be 
God  talking  to  us,  so  prayer  is  our  talk- 
ing to  God.  It  may  be  that  we  are  ask- 
ing for  favors,  temporal  or  spiritual; 
for  guidance  and  direction  along  the 
pathway  of  life;  for  security  from  the 
dangers  that  beset  us ;  it  may  be  an  ex- 
pression of  thanksgiving  for  the  bless- 
ings it  has  been  our  lot  to  enjoy,  but  in 
either  case  we  are  talking  with  God. 
The  richer  our  experience,  the  more  ex- 
tensive our  knowledge  of  God  and  his 
character,  the  sweeter  our  fellowship, 
the  more  we  want  to  talk  with  him,  the 
more  anxious  we  are  to  pray.  We  are 
to  pray  without  ceasing,  "earnestly,'' 
"intently,"  not  necessarily  in  the  utter- 
ance of  any  words,  but  with  the  uplift 

47 


15ihle  &tuti^  anti  SDetotion 

of  the  heart  in  devout  thanksgiving  or 
in  petition. 

^^George  Mtiller,  one  of  the  mightiest 
men  of  prayer  of  the  present  gener- 
ation, when  the  hour  for  prayer  came 
would  begin  by  reading  and  meditating 
on  God's  Word  until  out  of  the  study  of 
the  Word  a  prayer  began  to  form  itself 
in  his  heart.  Thus  God  himself  was  the 
real  author  of  the  prayer,  and  God  an- 
swered the  prayer  which  he  himself  had 
inspired." 

"The  Word  of  God  is  the  instrument 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  uses.  It  is  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit  in  more  senses  than 
one;  and  the  one  who  would  know  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  any  direc- 
tion must  feed  upon  the  Word.  The 
one  who  would  pray  in  the  Spirit  must 
meditate  much  upon  the  Word,  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  may  have  something 
through  which  he  can  work.  The  Holy 
Spirit  works  his  prayer  in  us  through 
the  Word,  and  neglect  of  the  Word 
makes  praying  in  the  Holy  Spirit  an 
impossibility.  If  we  would  feed  the  fire 

48 


f^n  i^in  to  t&e  JLite  ot  ^tam 

of  our  prayers  with  the  fuel  of  God's 
Word,  all  our  difficulties  in  prajer 
would  disappear." 

While  many  portions  of  the  Scrip- 
ture are  helpful  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  religious  affections,  the  Book  of 
Psalms  is  especially  so.  Perhaps  in  the 
language  of  no  other  can  we  so  w^ell 
express  our  religious  affections.  Says 
one:  "The  Psalms  are  preeminently 
devotional.  They  exhale  the  very 
spirit  of  worship;  they  breathe  the  at- 
mosphere of  devotion,  they  magnify 
and  praise  the  Lord.  They  ascribe  to 
him  the  majesty  and  glory  which  are 
due  to  him  alone.  They  exalt  his  at- 
tributes, his  name,  his  w^ord,  his  prov- 
idence, and  his  presence  in  the  affairs 
of  the  world.  All  that  comes  into  the 
life  of  the  saint,  they  refer  to  him.  The 
difficulties,  perils,  temptations,  en- 
emies, sorrows,  joys,  in  short,  all  the 
vast  experiences  into  which  God's  peo- 
ple are  brought  are  ascribed  to  him.  It 
would  seem  as  if  the  Spirit  of  God  had 
gathered  into  these  one  hundred  and 

i  49 


Tdiblt  &tuhv  anti  2Debotion 

fifty  hymns  all  the  sacred  exercises  of 
soul  of  which  the  redeemed  have  knowl- 
edge in  the  world.  There  is  no  state  or 
exigency,  no  circumstance  nor  set  of 
circumstances,  of  what  nature  soever, 
prosperous  and  adverse,  bad  and  good, 
near  and  remote,  but  it  may  find  a 
faithful  expression  in  the  inimitable 
Book.  Here  is  mirrored  all  that  the 
saint  desires  and  seeks,  and  loves  and 
hates.  His  hopes  and  fears,  confidence, 
weaknesses,  strength,  triumph  and  fail- 
ure are  here.  Here,  too,  are  his  tempta- 
tions and  trials,  his  conflicts  with  foes 
both  without  and  within,  his  defeats 
and  his  victories.  In  short,  the  life  of 
the  believer,  with  its  intricate  mazes, 
its  vast  alterations,  is  here  laid  bare." 

Says  another,  of  this  wonderful 
Book :  "They  witness  to  the  deep  Chris- 
tian emotion  of  good  men  who  lived 
three  thousand  years  ago.  Here  are 
their  experiences,  their  trials,  their 
straits,  their  conflicts  against  tempta- 
tion; and  here  also  are  the  records  of 
their  precious  faith  in  God,  through 

50 


^n  Siit>  to  tit  JLitt  ot  Prater 

which  they  gained  the  victory  over  the 
world  and  the  wickedness  thereof.  Here 
stand  recorded  their  excellent  songs  of 
triumph  in  the  day  of  their  deliver- 
ance; here  the  outflowing  of  their 
grateful  hearts  in  praise  to  the  power 
that  redeemed  and  to  the  loving-kind- 
ness that  remembered  them  with  plen- 
teousness  of  mercy  and  salvation. 
These  forms  of  uttering  devout  affec- 
tion are  so  rich,  so  full,  and  so  various, 
that  Christians  in  all  ages  have  de- 
lighted to  find  here  the  very  words  pre- 
pared to  their  hand,  in  which  their 
souls  burdened  or  lightened  might 
speak  before  the  Lord  of  their  wants, 
or  of  the  fullness  of  their  joy  when 
their  wants  were  supplied.  It  is  not 
strange  that  Christians  in  all  later  ages 
should  feel  peculiar  interest  in  using 
these  words  in  their  own  worship,  pub- 
lic or  private,  to  express  similar  feel- 
ings. It  will  always  be  pleasant  to 
think  that  God  moved  holy  men  of  old 
to  these  utterances  of  earthly  want,  of 
faith  in  God  for  promised  help,  and  of 

51 


T&ihk  &tuti?  and  a)el3otton 

thanks  for  delivering  grace.  We  un- 
consciously account  their  experience  of 
God^s  mercy  as  his  pledge  of  like  mercy 
to  his  people  in  every  age  under  their 
similar  wants  and  in  answer  to  the 
same  faith  and  prayer  for  the  like  help 
in  time  of  need/' 


52 


"He  who  has  learned  by  practice,  and  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  meditate  upon  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  will  assuredly  prefer  them  above 
every  other  book,  however  holy,  however  edifying. 
Of  other  books  one  may  weary,  of  this,  never. 
Others  we  may  exhaust,  but  this  is  inexhaustible. 
The  waters  of  nature  are  sweetest  and  purest  at 
the  fountain-head.  So  the  wells  of  salvation  which 
the  Scripture  supplies,  are  most  fresh  and  invig- 
orating when  we  dip  our  own  pitchers  into  the 
fountain." — Rev.   E.   M.   Qoullurn,  D.D. 


Sin  SLiti  to  tit  fLite  ot  S^eHitation 


V 

IBiblt  ^tmif  a0  an  aiD  to  t&e 
Mtt  of  ^eDitation 

One  great  duty  of  the  hour  to  which 
the  mass  of  people  are  slow  to  give 
heed  is  the  duty  of  meditating  upon 
God's  AYord.  The  psalmist  says:  "I 
will  meditate  on  thy  precepts,  and  have 
respect  unto  thy  ways''  (Psalm  109: 
15).  "Thy  servant  did  meditate  in  thy 
statutes"  (119:23).  "Mine  eyes  pre- 
vented the  night  watches,  that  I  might 
meditate  in  thy  word"  (119:148). 
Paul,  in  helping  to  prepare  Timothy 
for  his  work,  says  to  him,  "Meditate 
upon  these  things."  The  psalmist  says 
of  the  godly  man,  "His  delight  is  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord ;  and  in  his  law  doth  he 
meditate  day  and  night"  (Psalm  1:2). 
"I  remember  thee  upon  my  bed,  and 
meditate  on  thee  in  the  night  watches" 
(63:6). 

55 


Tdiblt  &tutip  anti  SDebotion 

This  means  Bible  study  for  our  own 
growth  in  the  divine  life.  This  sort  of 
study  reveals  to  us  the  weakness  and 
shortcomings  of  our  own  lives,  and  how 
to  make  them  better  and  stronger.  If 
we  would  be  the  strong,  generous,  cour- 
ageous Christians  that  we  should  be, 
and  that  God  wants  us  to  be,  we  must 
learn  of  him  through  his  own  Word. 
The  reason  why  so  many  Christians  are 
weak  and  ineflScient  in  their  relations 
to  the  unbelievers  about  them,  is  be- 
cause they  are  not  saturated  with 
God's  Word.  "If  ye  abide  in  me,  and 
my  words  abide  in  you,  ask  whatsoever 
ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you." 
Nor  can  we  be  aggressive  workers  with- 
out this  meditation  upon  God's  Word. 
It  would  relieve  us  of  much  of  the  dis- 
appointment and  worry  and  strain 
which  are  sure  to  come  to  those  who  do 
not  do  it.  "It  is  impossible  to  have  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  as  a  con- 
stant possession  apart  from  the  study 
of  the  Bible.  To  do  the  works  of  God 
we  must  have  the  power  of  God.     To 

56 


Sin  Siih  to  tbt  %itt  of  igi^ttiitation 

have  the  power  of  God  we  must  have 
the  Spirit  of  God.  The  Bible  is  the 
channel  through  which  the  Spirit 
comes  into  the  life.  We  do  not  find 
Spirit-filled  men  apart  from  deep,  de- 
votional Bible  students.  If  we  would 
be  filled  with  the  Spirit,  keep  filled,  and 
have  our  capacity  constantly  increase, 
let  us  become  possessed  with  the  Bible- 
study  passion." 

The  usual  objection  made  to  such 
devotional  study  of  the  Bible  is  that 
there  is  not  time  for  it.  In  the  hurry 
and  bustle  of  our  American  life  it  is 
thought  we  cannot  take  half  an  hour  a 
day  for  such  study;  but  let  us  remem- 
ber that  our  first  business  is  to  do  our 
Master's  will.  ^This  is  the  will  of  God, 
even  your  sanctification'^ ;  "Seek  ye 
first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  right- 
eousness." Must  I  not  take  time  to  do 
the  will  of  God?  Is  it  not  his  w^ill  that 
I  should  be  spiritually  strong  and  lead 
a  devoted,  useful  life?  Surely,  he  does 
not  wish  me  to  stand  still  or  retrograde 
in  the  spiritual  life.     Have  men  ever 

57 


BibU  &tuiis  and  SDebotfon 

grown  strong  spiritually  without  this 
devotional  Bible  study?  On  the  con- 
trary, the  busiest  men  have  taken  time 
for  this  work,  have  honored  God,  and 
have  been  able  to  do  the  work  required 
of  men  in  their  sphere  in  life.  Because 
of  this  recognition  of  him,  he  has 
blessed  them  so  they  could  do  better 
work,  and  more  of  it  than  heretofore. 
Men  have  been  challenged  to  test  it  by 
taking  the  first  half-hour  of  the  day  for 
Bible  study  for  one  month,  and  then  re- 
porting if  it  interfered  with  their  work 
or  efficiency.  "Hundreds  of  persons  in 
different  parts  of  the  world  have  ac- 
cepted this  challenge.  Thus  far  not 
one  has  reported  that  his  work  or 
standing  has  suffered  the  least ;  on  the 
other  hand,  many  of  them  report  that 
such  study  has  enabled  them  to  do 
more  and  better  work.  Is  it  fair,  there- 
fore, for  any  one  of  us,  without  trying 
it,  to  say  that  this  cannot  be  done?'' 

Dr.  Samuel  L.  Spear  lost  his  wife 
and  children,  and  in  seeking  comfort 
and   relief   began    such   a   systematic 

58 


Sin  ^ain  to  tit  ILite  of  fll^etiitation 

study  of  the  Bible  as  he  had  never  done 
before.  He  says:  "I  resolved  that 
during  the  remainder  of  my  life  I 
would  set  apart  one  hour  each  day  for 
the  special  study  of  the  Bible,  and  that 
this  should  be  the  hour  immediately 
preceding  my  breakfast,  so  that  before 
taking  my  morning  meal  for  the  nour- 
ishment of  my  body  I  should  regularly 
take  my  spiritual  meal  for  the  nourish- 
ment and  comfort  of  my  soul.  What 
was  then  a  purpose  is  now  a  habit.  I 
would  now  no  more  think  of  omitting 
my  Bible  study  in  the  morning  than  I 
would  think  of  omitting  my  breakfast, 
or  anything  else  which  I  must  do.  My 
only  regret  is  that  the  resolution  was 
formed  at  so  late  a  period.  What  I 
have  gained  in  the  way  of  mental  relief 
and  spiritual  comfort  from  the  process 
described,  I  would  not  exchange  for  all 
the  honor  and  wealth  of  this  world." 

The  personal  testimony  of  George 
Mtiller  is  very  interesting  and  helpful : 
"The  vigor  of  our  spiritual  life  will  be 
in  exact  proportion  to  the  place  held  by 

59 


5B(feIe  S)tuti^  and  SDebotfon 

the  Bible  in  our  life  and  thoughts.  I 
can  solemnly  state  this  from  an  expe- 
rience of  fifty-four  years.  ...  In  July, 
1829,  I  began  this  plan  of  reading  from 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  I  have 
read  since  then  the  Bible  through  one 
hundred  times,  and  each  time  with  in- 
creasing delight.  When  I  begin  it 
afresh  it  always  seems  like  a  new  book. 
I  cannot  tell  how  great  has  been  the 
blessing  from  consecutive,  diligent, 
daily  study.  I  look  upon  it  as  a  lost  day 
when  I  have  not  had  a  good  time  over 
the  Word  of  God.  Friends  often  say  to 
me,  ^Oh,  I  have  so  much  to  do,  so  many 
people  to  see,  I  cannot  find  time  for 
Scripture  study.'  There  are  not  many 
w^ho  have  had  more  to  do  than  I  have 
had.  For  more  than  half  a  century  I 
have  never  known  a  day  when  I  had 
not  more  business  than  I  could  get 
through.  For  forty  years  I  have  had 
annually  about  thirty  thousand  letters, 
and  most  of  them  have  passed  through 
my  own  hands.  I  have  nine  assistants 
always  at  work,  corresponding  in  Ger- 

60 


Sin  jaid  to  tit  mtt  of  Sl^etiitation 

man,  French,  English,  Italian,  Rus- 
sian, and  other  languages.  As  pastor 
of  a  church  with  twelve  hundred  believ- 
ers, great  has  been  my  care;  and,  be- 
sides these,  the  charge  of  five  immense 
orphanages,  a  vast  work;  and  also  my 
publishing  depot,  the  printing  and  cir- 
culating of  millions  of  tracts  and 
books ;  but  I  have  always  made  it  a  rule 
never  to  begin  work  till  I  have  had  a 
good  season  with  God,  and  then  I 
throw  myself  with  all  my  heart  into 
this  work  for  the  day,  with  only  a  few 
minutes'  interval  for  prayer." 

There  are  some  who  would  be  willing 
to  read  religious  books.  This  is  good  in 
itself,  but  will  not  take  the  place  of  the 
Bible  study  at  first  hand.  It  is  more 
helpful  for  our  own  personal  growth 
to  study  the  Bible  than  to  read  books 
about  the  Bible.  Others  there  are  who 
do  not  care  for  such  study,  for  this  in- 
creased light  would  put  new  obliga- 
tions upon  them.  There  are  many 
church-members,  in  some  congrega- 
tions  the   majority,   who   are  not   in 

61 


I&ihlt  &tuti^  anti  S>zt>otion 

prayer-meeting,  whose  voices  are  never 
heard  in  prayer,  who  if  helped  of  God 
in  their  Bible  study  must  get  rid  of 
their  cold-heartedness,  their  backslid- 
ings,  and  renew  again  their  loyalty  to 
their  Master.  How  cowardly  such  dis- 
ciples are,  and  what  a  hindrance  to  the 
true  work  of  the  church ! 

When  should  this  be  done?  It 
should  be  a  regular  thing.  We  want  to 
get  the  habit  of  study,  and  the  habit  is 
formed  by  regular  and  frequent  repeti- 
tion. If  possible,  and  we  think  it  is,  it 
should  be  once  every  day,  surely  once  a 
week.  Each  day  brings  its  own 
troubles  and  cares  and  worries,  and  we 
should  be  prepared  daily  for  what  is  to 
come.  Then  it  should  be  an  hour  of 
quiet;  we  should  not  be  hurried.  It 
takes  time  and  effort  to  grow  strong 
intellectually;  it  takes  time  to  grow 
strong  spiritually.  It  is  not  a  matter 
of  chance,  but  is  the  result  of  causes, 
as  is  all  other  growth.  We  should  for- 
get our  business,  our  cares,  our  clocks, 
and  everything  else  that  would  prevent 

62 


Sin  ;atti  to  tit  JLitt  ot  9?etiitation 

the  c4osest  communion  of  the  human 
soul  with  God. 

"With  some  of  you,  I  believe  the  plan 
of  spending  the  first  half-hour  of  each 
day  alone  with  God  is  the  best  time  in 
the  day.  The  mind  is  less  occupied. 
The  mind  is,  as  a  rule,  clearer,  and  the 
memory  more  retentive.  But  forget 
these  reasons,  if  30U  choose.  The 
whole  case  may  be  staked  on  this  argu- 
ment. It  equips  a  man  for  the  day's 
fight  with  self  and  sin  and  Satan.  He 
does  not  wait  until  noon  until  he 
buckles  on  his  armor.  He  does  not 
wait  until  he  has  given  way  to  temper, 
or  to  unkind  words,  or  to  unworthy 
thoughts,  or  to  easily  besetting  sin,  and 
then  have  his  Bible  study.  He  enters 
the  day  forewarned  and  forearmed. 
John  Quincy  Adams,  President  of  the 
United  States,  noted  in  his  journal,  in 
connection  with  his  custom  of  studying 
the  Bible  each  morning,  'It  seems  to 
me  the  most  suitable  manner  of  begin- 
ning the  day.'  Lord  Cairnes,  one  of  the 
busiest  men  in  Great  Britain,  devoted 

63 


7&ihlt  &tuD?  ant!  S)t\^otion 

the  first  hour  and  a  half  of  every  day 
to  Bible  study  and  secret  prayer.  We 
have  all  heard  how  Chinese  Gordon, 
while  in  the  Soudan,  had  a  certain  sign 
before  his  tent  each  morning,  which 
meant  that  he  must  be  left  alone.  A 
friend  recently  saw  his  Bible,  in  the 
Queen's  apartments  at  Windsor,  and 
told  me  that  the  pages  of  that  book, 
which  was  his  companion  in  the  morn- 
ing watch,  were  so  worn  that  one  could 
scarcely  read  the  print.  He  always  re- 
minds me  of  Sir  Henry  Havelock,  who 
took  care  to  be  alone  each  morning  to 
ponder  some  portion  of  the  Bible. 
When  on  the  heaviest  marches  it  was 
determined  to  start  at  some  hour 
earlier  than  that  which  he  had  fixed  for 
his  devotion,  he  arose  quite  in  time  to 
hold  undisturbed  his  communion  with 
his  God.  Buskin,  in  speaking  to  the 
students  at  Oxford,  said,  ^Read  your 
Bible,  making  it  the  first  morning  busi- 
ness of  your  life  to  understand  some 
portion  of  it  clearly,  and  your  daily 
business  to  obey  it  in  all  that  you  do 

6-1 


Sin  jgid  to  tit  mtt  o(  a?etiitation 

understand/  Francke  spent  the  first 
hour  of  each  day  in  private  devotion. 
Wesley,  for  the  last  forty  years  of  his 
life,  rose  every  morning  at  four  o^clock 
and  devoted  from  one  to  two  hours  to 
devotional  Bible  study  and  prayer. 
Rutherford  was  accustomed  to  rise  ev- 
ery morning  at  three  o'clock,  and  the 
whole  of  the  earlier  hours  of  the  day 
were  spent  by  him  in  prayer  and  medi- 
tation and  study.  Greater  than  all,  we 
have  it  on  the  best  of  evidence  that 
Christ  rose  a  great  while  before  it  was 
day  to  hold  communion  with  God. 
What  he  found  necessary,  or  even  de- 
sirable, can  we  do  without?  Spiritual- 
ity costs.  Shall  we  pay  w^hat  it  costs ?'^ 
Especially  should  one  or  more  hours 
be  taken  for  this  w^ork  on  the  Christian 
Sabbath.  The  quiet  of  the  day  is  con- 
ducive to  study.  To  give  us  an  oppor- 
tunity for  spiritual  culture  was  this 
day  given.  The  cessation  of  bodily  la- 
bor and  the  air  of  sanctity  thrown 
about  the  day  makes  it  suitable  for 
such  w^ork.    Especially  is  this  true  of 

6  65 


7&ihlt  ^tnn^  anti  SDthotion 

rural  districts  where  the  day  is  not  so 
full  of  public  church  services  as  in 
most  of  our  cities.  If  we  hallowed  this 
day  by  the  study  of  God's  Word,  it 
would  not  to  so  great  an  extent  be 
given  up  to  pleasure-seeking,  and  cer- 
tain forms  of  dissipation,  in  which, 
alas,  we  are  compelled  to  confess  many 
church-members  indulge. 

Eow  shall  this  be  done?  It  is  well 
to  have  some  kind  of  order  in  the  work, 
that  we  may  realize  each  day  that  we 
are  making  some  advancement.  In  the 
"Kecord  of  Christian  Work''  for  this 
year.  Dr.  G.  Campbell  Morgan  has  been 
conducting  a  series  of  "Bible  Notes  for 
Daily  Devotions."  A  variety  of  "Bible 
Studies"  have  been  outlined  and  pub- 
lished by  the  International  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  One  Bi- 
ble student  suggests  that  the  best  order 
in  which  to  study  the  Bible  for  devo- 
tional purposes  would  be  the  Gospels, 
Colossians,  Hebrews,  Psalms,  Isaiah, 
and  Deuteronomy.  Another  suggests 
the    placing    of    Deuteronomy    before 

66 


j^n  ^td  to  tSe  Jiitt  ot  9^Mmion 

Isaiah.  Another  thinks  the  Book  of 
Acts  should  immediately  follow  the 
Gospels.  It  does  not  matter  so  much 
that  there  should  be  one  specific  order 
as  that  there  should  be  some  order. 
There  might  be  an  examination  of  the 
lives  of  Bible  worthies,  such  as  Moses, 
Elijah,  Daniel,  John  the  Baptist,  John, 
Peter,  Paul.  "A  good  outline  for  such 
a  study  might  be  a  man's  preparation 
for  his  life-work,  qualifications,  diffi- 
culties encountered,  achievements,  the 
secret  of  his  enduring  influence." 

Another  good  way  would  be  an  ex- 
amination of  the  great  themes  of  relig- 
ion. These  are  all  presented  one  or 
more  times  in  some  parts  of  the  Bible. 
We  are  made  stronger  and  a  new  inspi- 
ration is  given  us  by  associating  with 
strong  men ;  so  our  minds  are  enlarged, 
our  vision  widened,  our  aspirations  in- 
creased by  the  study  of  great  themes. 
Take  any  one  of  the  great  themes  of  the 
Bible  and  let  these  be  faithfully  stud- 
ied for  half  an  hour  each  day  for  a 
month,  with  a  view  to  our  own  interest 

67 


and  profit  in  it,  and  how  much  we  shall 
find  ourselves  lifted  up  beyond  the 
little  cares  and  perplexities  of  life. 
Make  out  a  list  for  yourself  and  study 
for  a  specified  time,  the  character  of 
Christ,  the  divinity  of  Christ,  the  teach- 
ing of  Christ,  the  commands  of  Christ, 
Christ  as  a  teacher,  Christ  as  a  worker, 
Christ  as  a  man  of  prayer,  and  how 
much  more  real  his  life  will  become 
to  you ! 

Says  one:  "Mr.  Moody  every  year 
at  Northfield  urged  the  importance  of 
devoting  at  least  one  month  of  Bible 
study  to  each  of  the  great  doctrines,  as, 
for  example,  sin,  the  atonement,  regen- 
eration, faith.  When  in  college,  two  of 
us  met  for  the  study  of  the  Bible.  We 
wanted  something  to  counteract  the  ef- 
fect of  skeptical  philosophy.  We  took 
up  the  topic  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  think- 
ing we  might  finish  it  in  three  months. 
We  spent  a  year  upon  it,  and  then  felt 
we  had  only  opened  the  door.  It 
proved  for  us,  however,  to  be  the  very 
unlocking  of  the  Scriptures,  devotion- 

68 


jgtt  jgfti  to  tte  mu  of  flgftittatton 

ally.  We  might  have  taken  the  topic, 
prayer,  or,  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  prolong  the  list." 

By  some  such  plan  we  have  a  distinct 
work  for  each  day.  While  we  are  pros- 
ecuting this  study  we  must  be  alone,  in 
our  closets  or  some  equivalent  place. 
We  want  to  be  alone  with  God  so  he 
can  speak  to  us,  and  we  hear  him  un- 
disturbed by  the  din  and  noise  above 
us.  We  must  remember  that  we  are 
doing  this  not  that  we  may  preach 
better  sermons,  or  do  better  teach- 
ing, although  if  well-studied  we  will 
do  both.  We  must  not  have  a  thought 
as  to  what  and  how  we  can  use  this 
knowledge,  but  that  it  is  to  help  our 
lives,  gives  us  better  ideals  of  Chris- 
tian living,  and  help  us  to  bear  the  bur- 
dens that  shall  come  to  us,  and  give  the 
limited  time  at  our  disposal  to  com- 
munion with  God  through  his  Word. 
The  main  purpose  must  be  kept  in 
mind,  and  one  must  not  allow  himself 
to  be  turned  aside  to  try  to  solve  some 
theological    difficulty.     We    must    re- 

69 


3ih\t  &tati^  aim  SDebotfon 

member  that  no  great  profit  will  come 
Avithout  thorough  work.  Some  advise 
us  to  write  down  some  one  lesson 
learned  each  day.  Jeremiah  says,  "Thy 
W^ords  were  found,  and  I  did  eat  them" ; 
that  is,  "I  take  these  words  into  my 
mindy  I  store  them  in  my  memory.  I 
revolve  them  over  and  over  again.  I 
let  them  touch  the  springs  of  con- 
science. I  let  them  find  me.  I  set  the 
will  at  work  upon  them  and  apply 
them.  I  give  them  the  right  of  way  in 
my  life ;  I  make  them  a  part  of  myself. 
I  realize  in  actual  experience  that  the 
words  of  Christ  ^are  Spirit  and  are 
life.' " 

As  to  the  spirit  in  which  all  this 
should  be  done,  we  may  say  it  must  be 
an  earnest  one,  as  though  digging  for 
hidden  treasures,  for  in  no  other  way 
can  the  deep  things  of  God  be  learned. 
We  must  depend  on  the  Holy  Spirit, 
who  inspired  these  writings  and  who 
can  best  interpret  them.  We  must 
come  with  the  prayerful  spirit  which  is 
constantly  saying,   "Open   thou  mine 

70 


Sin  Siin  to  tit  JLitt  ot  9^zmation 

eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous 
things  out  of  thy  law."  We  must  come 
with  the  childlike  spirit,  for  unless  we 
become  as  little  children  we  shall  not 
understand  the  mysteries  of  the  king- 
dom. We  must  be  willing  at  whatever 
cost  to  obey  the  truth  as  we  shall  see  it. 
If  we  find  we  have  left  undone  duties 
that  were  commanded,  henceforth  we 
must  faithfully  do  them.  If  we  have 
practiced  what  the  Holy  Spirit  cannot 
approve,  we  must  hereafter  give  it  all 
up. 

Another  offers  these  suggestions  for 
devotional  study:  1.  "Open  all  such 
occasions  with  a  prayer  for  the  Holy 
Spirit's  light.  (Psalm  119:18.)  2. 
Ask  to  be  guided  to  some  definite 
thought  for  yourself.  3.  Dwell  prayer- 
fully on  the  thought  thus  given ;  is  it  a 
counsel,  a  precept,  a  warning,  a  prom- 
ise, an  experience,  a  command?  4. 
When  its  meaning  is  clear,  use  it  as  the 
basis  of  a  prayer  for  grace  to  realize  it 
in  experience.  5.  Yield  the  whole  soul 
in    full    surrender   to    its    truth    and 

71 


BUU  &tuti^  anti  SDrbotion 

power.  6.  Link  it  on  the  truths  al- 
ready known  and  thereby  strengthen 
the  chains  of  experience.  7.  Trust  God 
to  reproduce  it  in  your  life  that  day." 


72 


"This  Book  had  a  great  variety  of  penmen,  and 
these  differed  from  each  other  very  widely  as  to 
gifts,  natural  and  acquired.  They  range  all  the 
way  from  the  highest  poet  and  thinker,  like  Moses, 
David,  Isaiah,  Paul,  down  to  the  humblest  artisan 
and  rustic,  as  were  Amos,  Matthew,  Mark,  and 
Peter;  and  yet  is  a  Book  essentially  of  one  idea. 
Toward  Christ  all  its  lines  converge;  in  him  all 
its  strange  voices  harmonize  and  blend ;  in  him  all 
its  powers  and  predictions  have  their  fulfillment." 
— Dr.  W.  O.  Moorehead. 


74 


I^t\vfnlm00  ot  Special  Booliigf 

VI 

!^elpfulnes8  of  Special  TBooks 

The  books  of  the  Bible  were  orig- 
inally written,  published,  and  read  sep- 
arately from  each  other.  They  were 
written  for  a  distinct  purpose,  have  dif- 
ferent characteristics,  and  should  be 
read  as  separate  books.  We  are  to 
grow  by  means  of  the  truth,  hence  to 
cultivate  the  different  sides  of  our  na- 
ture we  want  the  special  truth  adapted 
to  that.  Each  book,  or  a  number  of 
books  may  name  different  subjects,  and 
to  get  all  that  is  said  on  one  topic  we 
would  need  to  select  from  all,  yet  some 
books  are  more  occupied  with  one  sub- 
ject than  with  others. 

jfot  &etti(ce 

1.  For  example,  if  we  want  to  culti- 
vate the  Christian  life  in  relation  to 
service,  let  us  read  Luke,  the  Acts,  and 

75 


3iblt  &tuti^  anti  Wtboiion 

James.  Luke  connects  the  work  of  Je- 
sus with  the  world  at  large.  He  pre- 
serves those  things  in  Jesus'  life  which 
show  his  interest  in  people  outside  of 
the  Jewish  nation.  Jesus  is  the  lover 
of  humanity,  the  friend  of  the  outcast, 
the  forgiver  of  those  who  sin,  and  the 
counselor  of  those  who  sorrow.  He  is 
a  man  possessed  of  wonderful  sym- 
pathy. He  gives  us  a  new  conception 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  His  book  has 
been  called,  "The  Gospel  of  the  Fu- 
ture," because  it  gives  us  a  hopeful  out- 
look of  what  the  future  is  to  be.  There 
will  be  a  time  of  tribulation,  but  a  bet- 
ter day  will  come.  "Better  lives  will 
bring  a  better  social  order;  better  cit- 
izens will  bring  a  better  city;  better 
men  will  bring  a  better  world." 

The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  shows  us 
the  work  that  Jesus  continued  to  do 
through  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  work  of 
the  risen,  ascended  Lord  is  not  done, 
but  going  on.  It  shows  what  Jesus  set 
out  to  accomplish  and  how,  by  his 
method  of  training  his  apostles,  he  had 

76 


^tlptnlm&0  ot  Special  3oo}i0 

put  great  agencies  at  work.  The  gospel 
had  never  before  been  cut  loose  from 
Judea,  but  is  now  entering  through 
Gentile  Christianity  on  a  course  of 
world-wide  conquest.  There  is  a  man- 
ifestation of  divine  power.  The  Holy 
Spirit  is  the  principal  actor.  The 
church  is  founded;  it  grows  by  perse- 
cutions. The  leaders  get  a  new  concep- 
tion of  Christianity.  The  first  Chris- 
tian council  is  held.  A  new  center  of 
operation  is  established  at  Antioch. 
Paul  is  finally  put  to  death,  but  "one 
mightier  than  all  the  Caesars  sat  upon 
the  throne,  holding  in  his  nail-pierced 
hand  the  scepter  of  universal  domin- 
ion." 

On  the  contrary,  James  is  a  conserv- 
ative Hebrew,  and  yet,  in  a  sense,  is  a 
liberal  one.  He  was  a  very  devoted 
man,  and  full  of  the  writings  of  the  Old 
Testament.  He  urges  to  the  instant 
performance  of  duty,  for  Christ's  com- 
ing is  at  hand.  The  Christian  must  not 
be  surprised  at  trials,  for  these  are  a 
part  of  our  human  existence.     True 

77 


aBible  fetuti^  and  S>t\>otion 

wisdom  is  from  above,  and  does  not 
come  from  inheritance.  He  gives  us  an 
exalted  view  of  God.  (1: 16-18.)  He 
discourses  on  the  ethics  of  speech.  He 
gives  the  Christian  view  of  religion. 
( 1 :  22-27. )  Right  action  is  very  im- 
portant. Faith  and  works  must  go 
together.  Hardship  and  injury  could 
be  borne  with,  "for  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  was  at  hand." 

ifor  jfdloto^Sip  and  Eabe 

2.  To  cultivate  the  life  of  fellow- 
ship and  love,  read  John's  letters. 
These  were  written  by  John  in  his  later 
years,  toward  the  close  of  the  first  cen- 
tury. Many  of  the  same  terms  are  used 
here  which  are  found  in  his  Gospel.  It 
is  a  time  of  quiet.  There  was  a  pause 
in  the  work  of  persecution.  "The 
churches  had  undergone  internal 
change.  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  shattering  of  Judaism  had 
emancipated  the  church  completely 
from  Judaizing  tendencies.  The  dis- 
tinction between  Gentile  and  Jew  had 

78 


^tlptnlm00  of  Special  15oo}i0 

completely  vanished.  New  forces  were 
in  operation.'^  The  main  source  of 
peril  now  is  that  of  heresy  in  the 
church.  He  shows  the  doctrine  con- 
cerning God  to  be  central.  Keligion  is 
personal  and  spiritual;  the  fellowship 
with  the  Father  includes  fellowship 
with  his  children.  Love  to  God  carries 
with  it  love  to  all  the  children  of  God. 
Christ's  mission  is  as  wide  as  the 
world.  The  present  life  of  the  Chris- 
tian is  an  indwelling  presence,  filling 
the  soul  and  controlling  the  life.  The 
conquering  power  is  faith.  By  dwell- 
ing in  Christ  the  will  to  sin  is  taken 
away.  We  are  to  walk  in  truth  and 
love. 

iFot  tje  JLitt  ot  tit  fepirft 

3.  For  a  better  understanding  of 
the  life  of  the  Spirit,  read  John  14-17. 
These  chapters  have  been  called  the 
holy  of  holies  of  the  Bible.  Christ  is 
about  to  depart  from  his  disciples.  He 
foresees  the  troubles  that  will  come  to 
their  Master;  he  will  be  spit  upon,  for- 

79 


3ihlt  &tuti^  anti  SDebotlon 

saken,  crucified,  and  suffer  the  torture 
of  a  lingering  death.  He  will  not  only 
prepare  these  disciples  to  bear  the 
troubles  about  to  come  upon  them,  but 
prepare  his  followers  through  all  com- 
ing time  for  similar  experiences  of  sor- 
row. He  sets  forth  "the  source  of  all 
comfort,  strength,  guidance,  and  spir- 
itual well-being  in  the  truth  of  the 
direct,  personal  presence  of  a  seem- 
ingly absent,  but  really  present,  and 
seemingly  slain,  but  really  living,  a 
seemingly  defeated,  but  really  victori- 
ous Lord  and  Master."  These  chapters 
contain  a  disclosure  of  the  very  heart 
of  Christianity;  the  personal  knowl- 
edge of  a  living  God  by  direct  com- 
munion with  him,  as  a  teacher,  a  com- 
forter, an  inspirer,  the  one  and  only 
true  source  of  faith  and  hope  and  love. 
The  first  and  second  chapters  of  The 
■Acts  of  the  Apostles,  indeed  the  whole 
book,  may  be  studied  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. In  this  book  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
the  principal  actor.  He  is  referred  to 
more  than  seventy  times.    The  book  is 

80 


1^elptulne00  ot  Special  Soofcisf 

entitled  to  be  called,  "The  Acts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."  When  the  Spirit  was 
poured  out  (2:4)  on  these  discouraged 
men  who  had  lost  their  leader,  they 
were  at  once  transformed;  "common 
men  became  mighty  through  God  to 
the  putting  down  of  Satan's  strong- 
holds. Into  the  hearts  of  that  small 
and  feeble  band  had  come  a  power 
which  was  to  shake  the  earth;  it  was 
the  re-creation  of  a  ruined  world." 

Paul's  letter  to  the  Ephesians  will  be 
very  helpful.  Paul  labored  at  this  city 
in  Asia  for  nearly  three  years.  In  this 
letter  the  purpose  of  God  seems  to  be 
"to  sum  up  all  things  in  Christ,  the 
things  in  the  heavens  and  the  things 
upon  the  earth"  ( 1 :  10) .  This  unity  is 
brought  about  by  uniting  all  men  to 
himself.  Christ  is  the  bond  of  spiritual 
union.  Thirty-six  times  the  author 
uses  the  term,  "in  Christ."  This  unity 
in  Christ  of  redeemed  humanity  may 
be  promoted  by  maintaining  the  unity 
of  the  faith ;  by  putting  the  individual 
life  into  the  life  of  the  church ;  by  work- 

6  81 


3ihlt  &tutip  anti  SDebotion 

ing  for  the  same  ends;  by  cultivating 
the  graces  that  make  for  social  unity; 
by  the  performance  of  reciprocal  du- 
ties; by  uniting  in  a  common  warfare 
against  evil. 

"The  church  is  not  an  end  in  itself; 
it  is  an  instrumentality,  an  aggressive 
agency  by  which  all  the  alien  powers 
in  the  spiritual  realm  that  fight  against 
the  divine  order  are  to  be  overcome. 
The  Christian  is  a  soldier.  He  is  to  put 
on  the  whole  of  the  God-provided 
armor,  that  he  may  fight  for  the  van- 
quishment  of  the  power  of  evil  and  for 
the  establishment  of  righteousness  and 
truth.  Armor  is  for  the  earth;  robes 
for  heaven.  Here  we  wear  a  helmet, 
there  a  crown ;  here  we  wield  a  sword, 
there  we  wear  a  palm;  here  we  fight, 
there  we  rest.  The  battle  is  not  to  be 
given  up  until  every  rebellious  power 
is  put  down  and  the  whole  round 
world  brought  into  harmony  with  the 
will  of  heaven." 


82 


^tlpt\x\m^0  of  Special  Boofttf 
ifpt  Cultibatinff  tfie  Jlite  ot  ifaitj 

4.  In  cultivating  the  life  of  faith, 
the  Book  of  Hebrews  will  be  especially 
helpful.  The  old  Jewish  dispensation 
is  passing  away,  and  good  as  it  was, 
there  is  a  better  one  at  hand.  This 
"word  of  exhortation"  was  written  by 
some  one  of  these  Jewish  believers  so 
their  faith  would  not  give  way.  The 
revelation  of  God  to  man  is  fulfilled  in 
Christ;  he  has  appointed  him  heir  of 
all  things.  He  is  superior  to  prophets, 
to  angels,  to  Moses,  to  Joshua^  to 
Aaron,  to  Melchizedek.  The  new  age 
is  better  than  the  one  that  is  passing; 
it  has  a  better  hope,  a  better  covenant, 
better  promises,  better  tabernacle,  bet- 
ter sacrifices,  a  better  possession,  a 
better  country,  a  better  resurrection, 
a  better  inheritance.  It  is  God's  way 
always  to  provide  something  better  for 
us.  Progress  in  his  plans  calls  for  pro- 
gress in  the  individual  Christian.  To 
fulfill  his  priestly  office,  Christ  became 
man;  but  he  is  more  than  man.     He 


83 


3iUt  fetutip  anti  2)ebotion 

offered  a  perfect  sacrifice.  We  are  in 
possession  of  a  new  covenant.  This 
brings  new  privileges  and  imposes  new 
duties.  We  care  to  hold  fast  the  "con- 
fidence of  faith  that  it  wavers  not/^ 
Those  who  follow  the  Master  in  the 
day  of  persecution  will  rejoice  in  the 
day  of  his  manifestation. 

With  this  may  be  associated  PauFs 
letter  to  the  Galatians.  He  planted 
the  church  in  Galatia.  After  leaving 
it  for  work  elsewhere  his  old  enemies, 
the  Judaistic  teachers,  crept  in  and 
tried  to  put  his  converts  again  under 
the  bondage  of  legalism.  They  even 
claimed  that  he  was  a  pretender,  and 
not  a  real  apostle.  In  chapters  one 
and  two,  Paul  defends  his  claims  to 
the  apostleship  by  showing  that  his 
message  was  from  God;  in  chapters 
two  and  three  he  declares  the  spiritual 
independence  of  the  believer,  especial- 
ly his  freedom  from  the  yoke  of  cere- 
monialism ;  in  chapters  ^Ye  and  six  he 
exhorts  the  Galatian  Christians  to  hold 
fast  the  liberty  wiiich  they  have  in 

84 


Christ ;  not  abusing  it,  but  using  it  for 
the  highest  end.  He  lays  special  em- 
phasis on  the  doctrine  of  Christian 
liberty ;  they  should  maintain  spiritual 
independence.  There  was  danger  that 
they  might  fall  from  grace.  There 
could  be  no  compromise.  They  must 
not  use  their  liberty  as  license.  They 
must  obey  the  law  of  Christ,  which  is 
the  law  of  love.  They  must  not  be 
weary,  for  they  should  reap  if  they 
fainted  not.  They  should  glory  in  the 
cross  of  Christ.  Suffering  for  Jesus  is 
a  better  sign  of  the  Christian  spirit 
than  the  most  painstaking  perform- 
ance of  outward  religious  acts. 

jFot  ^opt  of  iFmal  ^tiumpj 

5.  To  develop  the  hope  of  final  tri- 
umph, the  consciousness  of  victory  over 
the  daily  ills  of  life,  over  our  own  sin- 
ful natures,  as  well  as  the  assurance  of 
the  life  to  come,  read  Romans,  especial- 
ly the  eighth  chapter.  All  life  is  a  con- 
flict. The  battle  of  the  Christian  is  to 
bring  lawless  appetites  and  impulses 

85 


3ihlt  fetutr^  anH  Wtbotion 

under  the  law  of  Christ.  He  who  has 
that  conception  is  a  coworker  with  God 
and  is  led  bj  the  Spirit  of  God.  He  no 
longer  cries  to  God  in  fear ;  his  suffer- 
ing and  conflict  are  not  for  punishment, 
but  are  a  gift  of  the  Father's  love.  He 
knows  what  the  end  will  be  if  he  con- 
tinues on  to  the  end.  "He  is  no  lost 
child.  He  knows  whence  he  came — 
from  his  Father;  he  knows  where  he 
now  is,  for  he  is  with  his  Father;  he 
knows  whither  he  is  going,  for  he  is 
going  to  his  Father's  house;  he  knows 
what  is  expected  of  him,  for  it  is  ex- 
pected that  he  will  be  a  loving,  trusting 
son  of  a  loving,  life-giving  Father;  he 
knows  who  is  the  master  of  his  destiny, 
for  his  past,  present,  and  future  are  in 
his  Father's  hands.  His  Father  has 
chosen  him  to  be  conformed  to  the 
image  of  Christ  his  Lord,  and  into  this 
glorious  perfection  will  he  bring  him, 
even  him,  at  last."  What,  then,  can  he 
fear? 

We  may  study  the  Book  of  Job  for 
the  same  purpose.    Job's  history  teaches 

86 


I^tlj^tn\m00  of  fepecial  SooW 


us  that  afflictions  are  not  in  proportion 
to  our  sinfulness,  nor  given  for  pur- 
poses of  punishment.  If  our  hearts 
condemn,  is  not  God  greater  than  our 
hearts,  and  will  he  not  condemn  us? 
If  we  keep  fast  hold  of  him  and  say, 
"Though  he  slay  me,  I  will  trust  in 
him,'^  we  shall  triumph  at  last,  and  our 
false  friends  and  enemies  shall  be  dis- 
comfited. 

The  Book  of  Revelation  will  be  es- 
pecially cheery.  It  was  written  in  part 
to  encourage  the  Jews  in  the  final  tri- 
umph of  Christianity.  Some  events 
had  just  occurred  which  were  especial- 
ly significant;  the  persecutions  of 
Christians  at  the  hands  of  the  Roman 
power,  beginning  in  the  time  of  Nero, 
who,  having  burned  the  city  of  Rome, 
found  it  necessary  to  find  a  scapegoat 
on  whom  the  responsibility  for  the 
dreadful  crime  could  be  laid;  and  next 
the  Jewish  war  which  led  to  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  by  Titus.  It  is 
thought  that  during  the  former  of  these 
events  Peter  and  Paul  perished,  leaving 

87 


3iblt  &tnhv  anti  SDebotton 

John  the  only  remaining  member  of 
the  apostolic  band.  Josephus  tells  of 
the  dreadful  horrors  of  this  war,  when 
the  holy  city  was  "compassed  about 
with  armies."  The  temple  was  gone, 
the  city  had  fallen,  the  faithful  were 
being  everywhere  persecuted,  and  the 
holy  land  was  ravaged  as  by  wild 
beasts.  The  hearts  of  men  were  failing 
them.  John  with  his  vision  saw  that 
the  church  was  being  tried  by  fire,  but 
in  the  end  would  be  victorious,  and  so 
he  wrote  this  book.  It  taught  that  "no 
believer  had  any  cause  for  despair; 
much  had  been  suffered,  much  more 
would  yet  be  suffered,  but  the  end  was 
sure.  The  world-powers  were  certain 
to  fall  under  the  power  of  the  Messiah. 
Let  the  church  look  up.  Her  deliver- 
ance and  the  transformation  of  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  into  the  king- 
dom of  God  and  his  anointed  was  near. 
The  city  of  God,  the  new  social  order, 
the  reign  of  righteousness  on  this  earth, 
was  already  descending  from  heaven. 
.  .  .  The  book  was  not  written  to  sat- 

88 


isfy  the  curiosity  of  men  regarding  the 
secrets  of  the  future,  but  to  confirm 
Christian  faith  and  inspire  Christian 
hope  in  that  age,  and  in  all  ages." 


"All  scripture  is  God-breathed  and  profitable  for 
teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction 
in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  ad- 
justed, thoroughly  fitted  for  all  good  works." — Paul. 


90 


Conclusion 


CancIu0ton 

We  have  not  space  to  particularize 
further.  Each  book  was  written  for 
some  special  purpose,  and  has  a  value 
for  each  one  of  us.  Read  each  one  and 
inquire  of  it  what  teaching  therein  is 
for  you.  Paul  writes  to  Timothy  (II, 
Timothy  2:3-16),  "Every  scripture  in- 
spired ...  is  also  profitable  for  teach- 
ing, for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  in- 
struction which  is  in  righteousness; 
that  the  man  of  God  may  be  complete, 
furnished  completely  unto  every  good 
work."  An  examination  of  each  book 
to  find  what  it  teaches  me^  will  bring 
new  revelations  of  truth  and  duty. 

Says  Rev.  R.  W.  Torrey :  "The  fail- 
ure to  make  personal  application  of  the 
truth  discovered  in  Bible  study  lies  at 
the  root  of  its  fruitlessness  in  many  in- 
stances. In  our  study  of  the  Bible  the 
question  before  our  minds  should  al- 
ways be,  What  is  there  here  for  me? 

91 


3ih\t  fetutip  and  SDrbotion 

What  duty  is  pointed  out  here  for  me 
to  do?  What  line  of  action  is  suggest- 
ed for  me  to  follow?  What  privilege  is 
here  revealed  for  me  to  claim?  What 
promise  is  here  proclaimed  for  me  to 
make  my  own?  In  this  way  our  life 
will  be  steadily  enlarging  into  the 
measure  of  that  perfect  life  which  is  set 
forth  in  the  Bible.  Happy  is  the  man 
who  stands  before  his  Bible  with  the 
determination  that  every  command  in 
it  he  will  obey,  every  promise  in  it  he 
will  appropriate,  and  every  privilege 
declared  in  it  he  will  claim  for  himself, 
and  who  is  constantly  on  the  lookout 
for  new  commands  to  follow,  new 
promises  to  lay  hold  of,  and  new  priv- 
ileges to  make  his  own.  But  how  many 
there  are  who  study  the  Bible  and 
seemingly  get  quite  a  clear  understand- 
ing of  its  meaning,  but  upon  whose 
minds  it  never  seems  to  dawn  that 
these  immeasurable  privileges  are  for 
them!  If  you  belong  to  this  class, 
learn  to  read  your  Bible  in  a  new  way, 


92 


€ont\u0ion 


as  the  voice  of  ^the  living  God'  speak- 
ing to  you." 

In  order  to  make  this  study  most 
helpful,  one  needs  a  good  concordance, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  find  kindred  pass- 
ages; a  good  reference  Bible  is  also 
very  helpful.  There  are  references 
which  do  not  refer,  hence  one  needs  to 
get  the  best.  "Nave's  Topical  Bible" 
will  prove  a  very  valuable  help.  It  col- 
lects together  in  systematic  order  and 
under  familiar  headings  all  that  the 
Bible  contains  on  particular  subjects. 
In  the  ordinary  concordance  a  verse  is 
mentioned  but  once.  In  the  Topical 
Bible  some  are  mentioned  from  one  to 
tAventy  times,  according  to  the  number 
of  subjects  the  verse  contains.  It  were 
well  to  have  more  than  one  Bible  for 
different  purposes.  If  the  reader  can 
have  but  one,  it  should  be  the  "Stand- 
ard American  Edition  of  the  Revised 
Version,"  published  by  Thomas  Nelson 
&  Son,  New  York.  As  to  plans  of 
study,  it  is  not  so  much,  after  all,  the 
fact  of  having  the  plan,  but  a  plan  of 

93 


3iblt  fetudp  anH  2)ebotion 

some  kind.  These  may  vary  as  to  the 
taste  of  the  individual.  The  promi- 
nent teachers  of  improved  Bible  study 
over  the  land  will  send  an  outline  of 
their  work  on  application.  Very  val- 
uable suggestions  will  be  furnished  on 
application  to  the  International  Com- 
mittee of  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, New  York.  As  we  write,  a 
copy  of  "Daily  Bible"  comes  to  us  from 
Clifton  Springs,  New  York,  and  will 
be  sent  to  any  one  for  examination. 
Select  some  plan,  and  follow  it  daily 
with  the  prayerful  attitude,  the  listen- 
ing ear,  the  teachable  mind,  and  the 
obedient  will. 

In  conclusion  we  would  say,  in  the 
words  of  another,  "Let  us  renew  our 
vows  of  love  and  loyalty  to  this  pre- 
cious Bible.  We  love  it,  not  only  be- 
cause it  is  the  old  family  Bible  that  lay 
on  the  stand  in  the  childhood's  home, 
not  only  because  fingers  that  now  are 
sweeping  the  harps  of  gold  once  turned 
its  leaves,  and  eyes  that  now  are  riveted 
in  ecstatic  rapture  on  the  Lamb  ^as  it 

94 


ConcIu0tott 


had  been  slain'  once  read  eagerly  its 
divine  promises,  and  voices  that  now 
are  joining  in  the  heavenly  anthem, 
once  sang  with  us  David's  psalms  and 
Calvary's  hymns.  We  love  it  not  only 
for  what  it  has  been  to  our  souls,  for  its 
wells  of  salvation,  for  its  crimsoned 
cross,  for  its  empty  sepulcher,  for  its 
never-failing  promises,  for  its  assur- 
ance of  death  conquered  and  mansions 
prepared,  but  we  love  this  Bible  be- 
cause it  is  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation;  God's 
hammer  to  break  flinty  hearts  in  pieces, 
God's  truth  to  illumine  darkened 
minds,  God's  peace  to  calm  troubled 
souls,  God's  manna  to  nourish  and  sus- 
tain pilgrims,  till  the  Jordan  is  reach- 
ed." 


We  intended  the  above  paragraph  to 
end  this  little  volume.  And  yet  we  can- 
not forbear  to  give,  as  an  appendix,  this 
"Last  Message"  of  Dr.  Joseph  Parker, 
author  of  "The  People's  Bible,"  which 

95 


"Bihlt  &tuti^  anti  SDebotton 

remains  after  him  as  a  monument  to 
his  faithful  study  of  this  blessed  Book : 
"There  is  one  test  to  which  I  cannot 
but  submit  every  creed,  every  religion, 
every  book.  What  kind  of  manhood 
has  it  produced?  What  sort  of  men 
has  the  old  Bible  grown?  What  of 
their  aspirations,  their  service,  their 
sacrifice?  They  were  grand  men;  per- 
haps narrow-minded,  perhaps  austere, 
perhaps  conservative,  but  they  were 
honorable,  determined,  self-sacrificing 
men.  They  were  men  who  put  them- 
selves to  a  great  deal  of  trouble  for  oth- 
ers ;  they  gave  away  much  money ;  they 
counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto  them ; 
they  liberated  slaves;  they  smashed 
iniquitous  monopolies;  they  founded 
missionary  societies,  dared  fire  and 
sword,  pestilence  and  cruelty.  They 
had  not  the  latest  learning  on  the  Pen- 
tateuch, Isaiah,  and  the  Apocryphal 
books,  but  they  gripped  the  Bible  with 
a  nerve  of  steel.  They  had  immense 
and  miracle-working  faith.  I  believe 
in  my  heart  that  they  were  more  self- 


Concluisfion 


sacrificing  than  many  who  laugh  at 
their  ignorance  and  condemn  their  nar- 
rowness. They  believed  in  the  literal 
inspirations  of  the  Bible,  in  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul,  in  eternal  punish- 
ment, in  the  atoning  death  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  they  cried  after,  if  finally 
they  might  attain  the  holiness  of  God. 
They  were  not  critics,  they  were  great 
workers;  not  grammarians,  but  gener- 
ous givers ;  not  pedants,  but  unsparing 
in  benevolence  and  sacrifice.  I  judge 
every  religion  by  the  men  it  makes,  and 
so  judged,  the  Bible  has  no  need  to  be 
ashamed  of  its  stalwarts  and  its  he- 
roes. Shall  I  offend  scholars  and  crit- 
ics, grammarians  and  pedants,  if  I 
frankly  say  that  merely  as  such  they 
have  next  to  nothing  to  do  with  the 
Bible?  that  the  Bible  has  little  or  noth- 
ing to  say  to  them  in  their  academical 
capacity?  The  Bible  seeks  and  finds 
the  heart,  talks  to  the  spirit  when  in 
the  deepest  humility,  goes  out  after  the 
soul  when  in  its  penitence  and  mortal 
hunger.     When  the  reader  is  least  a 

7  97 


7&ih\t  fe)tuti^  anti  SDebotion 

grammarian  he  may  be  nearest  the 
spirit  of  the  book.  *Thus  saith  the  high 
and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity, 
to  this  man  will  I  look,  to  the  man  that 
is  of  a  humble  and  a  contrite  heart,  and 
that  trembleth  at  my  word.'  To  ^trem- 
ble' is  better  than  to  parse.  In  a  deep 
and  large  sense  salvation  is  not  of 
grammar,  else  then  only  grammarians 
could  have  a  high  x)lace  in  heaven. 

"It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
some  of  us  still  cling  to  the  Bible  after 
the  illiterate  and  traditional  manner 
of  our  fathers,  and  mothers,  and  pas- 
tors. Blame  our  training.  Take  full 
account  of  our  antecedents.  We  drew 
in  our  love  of  the  Bible  with  our  moth- 
er's milk.  The  Bible  helped  some  of  us 
when  the  father  died,  and  there  was 
neither  coal  in  the  grate  nor  bread  in 
the  cupboard.  It  sanctified  our  pov- 
erty, our  struggles,  our  desolation.  It 
turned  the  grave  into  a  garden  plot.  It 
put  heart  into  us  when  all  other  things 
failed.  The  Bible  has  made  us  men. 
We  are  not  to  be  told  that  this  con- 

98 


€ont\u0ion 


solatory  ( not  critical )  Bible  is  still  left 
to  us.  How  long  will  it  be  left?  Still 
higher  critics  may  possibly  arise  in  dis- 
tant years  who  will  purloin  this  jewel 
also.  Who  can  say  how  much  of  the 
Bible  will  be  left  in  half  a  century? 
We  have  a  right  to  be  suspicious. 
Where  much  has  gone,  more  may  go. 
On  the  whole,  therefore,  I  am  of  opin- 
ion that  it  is  better  to  hold  the  Bible 
very  much  as  we  have  always  held  it, 
to  keep  an  open  mind  in  relation  to  all 
competent  and  reverent  criticism,  to 
cling  to  the  Bible  in  all  its  proved  con- 
solations and  particular  results,  and 
to  leave  many  difficulties  and  perplex- 
ities to  be  settled  when,  in  heaven,  we 
have  more  time  and  more  light." — The 
Life  of  Faith. 


0f  Sf^tt  Snnks. 


Each  designed  to  set  forth  in  a  plain 
and  practical  manner  the  cardinal  doctrines 
as  taught  in  the  Word  of  God. 

THE  LOVE  OF  GOD.    By  W.  M.  Bell,  D.D. 

THE  ATONEMENT.  By  Bishop  E.  B.  Kep- 
hart,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

HOLINESS.  By  Bishop  J.  S.  Mills,  D.D., 
Ph.D.,  LL.D. 

BAPTISM.     By  A.  W.  Drury,  D.D. 

REGENERATION.    By  S.  D.  Faust,  D.D. 

JUSTIFICATION.  By  Bishop  G.  M.  Math- 
ews, D.D. 

THE  DIVINITY  OF  OUR  LORD.  By  G.  A. 
Funkhouser,  D.D. 

REPENTANCE.     By  L.  Bookwalter,  D.D. 

THE  HOLY  TRINITY.  By  J.  P.  Landis, 
D.D.,  Ph.D. 

THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  SPIRIT.  By  Bishop 
N.  Castle,  D.D. 

Bound  in  substantial  cloth,  uniform 
style,  6*^x4^  inches.  Single  volume,  net, 
35  (HtntB,  Ten  volumes  at  one  time,  pre- 
paid, ^3.50. 

Uniform  in  size  with  the  Devotional 
Books. 


Ilnttrb  lrr%^n  Jpubltaljtttg  ^itnBt, 

W.  R.  FUNK.  Agent.  DAYTON,  OHIO. 


DATE  DUE 

m»- 

•mmif^f^'^'f^' 

,, 

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